Never Losing The Way
by CrimsonHeresy
Summary: Ryūko Matoi never thought her father would be murdered and yet here she is about to enter Honnōji Academy to search for his killer. The last six months have been brutal and lonely...However three shining stars might give her the advantage she needs to bring justice to her father's killer. She might also find out what it means to have a family along the way. OC and AU, Ryūko POV CP2
1. A Regular No-Star: Slow Mornings

**_Author's Notes_**

 ** _Here is the first chapter of Never Losing the Way and my first story into the Kill La Kill Fandom._**

 ** _I just finished watching Kill La Kill a couple of days ago and fell in love with the series. The characters, battles, and the sheer intensity of the show made me want write some fanfiction for it and well here I am. I have read a couple of great stories on this site for Kill La Kill and special shout outs to "Before My Body is Dry" and "Splitting Seams" for getting me pumped about writing some Kill La Kill fiction. Also thank you to GirthJohnson and TheWill95 for helping me brainstorm for this story._**

 ** _This story does have an OC character that is going to be a main character but I am trying to do something different with this one. I notice that Kill La Kill unlike most fighting anime lack a "Team Mom/worrywart" type of character and I decided to see what would happen if Ryūko had one as a friend._**

 ** _Anyways I hope you enjoy the story!_**

* * *

...

* * *

A young teenager hummed quietly to himself as he cheerfully walked out his home. He smiled at the rising sun over Honnō City's slums. Most people would not be excited about living in the slums much or be happy to wake up in such a poor location. But to the boy it was home for the last six months and he was gratefully about it.

After all he would rather sleep in a shack then on the ground.

He quickly checked his mailbox that had seen better days for any new mail. The only thing in the battered aluminum box was a notice about the upcoming exams at Honnōji Academy. He sighed in annoyance once he finished reading the note.

To most of his fellow people in the slums and his comrades in the No-Star ranks, the name of the academy alone would send shivers down their spines.

For good reason of course, Honnōji Academy was infamous for its totalitarian rule over the man-made island and the sheer ruthless the ruling elite were known for. It wasn't uncommon to hear families go homeless or students to receive beatings.

Honestly it made the young man sick to his stomach watching his fellow classmates being treated as animals but it wasn't his fight.

His job was simply to go to school and try to live another day.

With such attitude towards the school of his choice, it was odd that the he could even smile in the first place. However what brought him joy was in fact the slums that he dwelled in.

As he walked down the road he could see shops and stores of all kinds lining the streets. They were all packed to the brim with people trying to start their days or simply hanging out at their favorite haunts before school time. Laughter flowed out of the ramshackle huts and children ran into the busy streets playing tag with their friends.

Even in such a desolate living environment the people of Honnō City's slums lived in, they still found happiness in their life. Most people would fall in despair in living in such a location or give up on life.

The No-Star populations of the slums were made out of meaner stuff than that. Even with living with poverty they had the will to enjoy life no matter what and have hope in a better tomorrow.

Honnō City may have been forsaken by God, but its slums dogs were not forgotten. It's one of the reasons why he stayed as a No-Star student and refused the promotion he was offered a while back.

He has seen the living conditions of the One-Star students, they were much better than his worn down wooden shack…yet the people that lived in the condos were devoid of purpose. To them life was about going to school and trying to get another star down on their belt, they didn't care about the simpler things in life nor were they grateful with the wealth they lived in.

No it wasn't enough for their greed or their ambitions to stay as a One-Star student.

Plus the look on the One-Star's face that offered him the uniform was classic.

He breathed deeply into the air as the smell of fresh bread fill his nostrils. His body was soaking in the measure of content that now filled his body as he looked up at the wooden sign proclaiming that he has reached his destination.

It was a little bakery that he found during his first week at Honnōji Academy and he was thankful for this little treasure. The bakery wasn't really a building, more like a stall that had a rickety tin roof and cardboard thin walls that barely keep any heat in. The large brick oven sat in the back of the stall. He could see the bread being cooked and the smell it gave well.

Let's say that fresh bread always smells grand when it came fresh out of the oven.

He always did enjoy a good sourdough loaf in the morning.

"Good Morning Katsuki." The teen snapped out of thoughts in an instance and glanced down at the old baker with a couple of missing teeth.

"Good Morning Mrs. Aoyama, may I have the usual?"

The old lady nodded at the average height teen. She always wondered why her favorite and most constant customer was always wearing a large red cloak that reached to his knees. It was made out of a strange felt like material and seemed to be very hot to wear.

However, Aoyama knew better than ask questions about people personal lives. They may have the comradely of living in the slums but you could never trust people truly in the slums.

Stuff like that would get you stabbed in the back and robbed of all your earthly processions.

Iori Katsuki simply scratched his rather pale cheeks as he was thinking about something.

"Actually can I have a small blueberry muffin with the usual order?"

Aoyama reached to her left and gently put the right muffin in a small paper bag.

"For your teacher Katsuki?"

The raven-haired teen nodded in reply. His raven locks where styled in a rather simple ponytail and no one could actually tell how long it was. However, people could agree that it was obviously dyed in color.

"You know how much Mr. Mikisugi like his blueberries." The teen chuckle as he remembered the first time he gave a muffin to Mikisugi. The man was so excited that he started to strip himself in the middle of class.

Thankfully Mankanshoku want on her regular rants that normally happen outside the classroom.

Iori still wonders where all the rabbits came from and how she could hold so many.

He had a weird classroom but Second Year Class-K was much better than most of the other No-Star classrooms. Especially if the rumors about Class-F were right and the people shapes in the classroom walls were real too.

Who starts a classroom brawl over extra credit homework of all things?

"That would be fifteen thousand Yen." Aoyama said as she handed the baked goodies over to the (not) drooling Iori. He glance around to make sure that no one was watching him and bent down on his knees and reached into his brown hiking boots and pulled out his wallet.

It was in the shape of a rather pudgy owl.

"Here you go Mrs. Aoyama!" He cheerfully stated as he handed over the money. With a sharp turn he grabbed the bag and started walking towards Honnōji Academy.

He didn't forget to wave good-bye to his favorite baker.

After all there no need to be rude to nice old ladies.

Iori smiled as he ripped off a piece of sourdough bread and started to munch on it.

He had a gut feeling that today was going to be a good day.

* * *

Iori decided that he was never going to trust a gut feeling every again. Right now he was sitting in his homeroom class watching his teacher Mr. Mikisugi drone on and on about Hitler rise to power.

Now it was interesting…for the first month.

Iori was surprised that no one really noticed that every month Mr. Mikisugi would end the topic with Hitler's death and start over the whole subject the upcoming day.

Now he wasn't the most brilliant person in the world, but Mr. Mikisugi was definitely comparing Hitler and his rise to power to the Kiryuin family and the Totalist stronghold that Satsuki Kiryuin held over Honnōji Academy.

Well that is what he thought anyways. Over five months of the same lesson will cause a man to think about his life and why he has to go through the torture. However, Mr. Mikisugi was held by high esteem from the ponytail teen. At least someone was trying to protest though civil disobedience rather though violence.

The last thing that Honnōji Academy needed was more bloodshed. Only if that Osaka spy that was caught last semester didn't sell Jakuzure panties.

Why was the male population of this academy perverted to the bone?

Anyways on the bright side he was excused from homework for the class due to him acing the material the first time around. It was also the reason he was offer a One-Star Goku Uniform.

His refuse in front of the whole class made him Mr. Mikisugi favorite student. It's not like he bribe his teacher with muffins or anything.

A small yawn escaped Iori mouth as he counted minutes till the lunch bell. It was only abo-

BANG!

Iori twisted his neck to stare at the military style door of his classroom. The door was being warped from some sort force and the scary thing was that the door was made of solid steel.

Thick enough to stop a bullet type of steel.

Iori lazily flicked his hood on and closed his eyes. Maybe joining Mankanshoku in sleep would be a wise idea for once? Then again would he actually be able to sleep in the racket that was about to erupt?

No, he didn't even have a chance.

"I hope however decided to mess with the Disciplinary Committee is okay in the end."

Apparently Iori's mumbling was heard by whole class as everyone of Class-K did their best to bunker down in their cheap desks. The last time that Disciplinary Committee decided to burst into the classroom everyone in the front row was sent to the hospital for a week. The boy that was "desk buddy" with Mankanshoku suddenly tried to get as small as possible.

Well at least everyone now knows who brought the Disciplinary Committee's hammer on them. It was always the new kids that got in trouble.

Glass fragments rained upon Iori's head as the poor door flew into the window and sending most of the front row students into the air.

A giant of a man walked into the classroom followed by a horde of One-Star students. His Three-Star Goku Uniform was clean and very orderly; the sharp spikes on his shoulders and his spiked steel gauntlets were as big as a man's body. This was the drill sergeant from hell and the ' _living shield_ ' of Satsuki Kiryuin.

Ira Gamagoori the ' _toad_ ' of the Elite Four and the head of the Disciplinary Committee.

It looks like Mankanshoku is going to get a new "desk buddy". It would be the third one this week.

"Excuse me; we're in the middle of a lesson." Iori simply looked at his teacher wondering why he's trying to bring the "toad hammer" down on him.

It was probability the muffin from earlier.

Gamagoori just turn and glared at Mr. Mikisugi, it was a look that promised to unleash untold amount of pain for disobedience against the Kiryuin's ruler.

"I'm on official business!" the giant roared at the helpless history teacher.

Mr. Mikisugi quickly went into bow asking for forgiveness. The cloak wearing teen behind Mankanshoku simply shock his head at the scare tactics used by Kiryuin's dogs.

Gamagoori soon started to pace back in and forth in front of the surviving students of Class-K. He was going on some speech about protecting Honnōji Academy from spies and something like that.

Iori stopped paying any sort of attention the moment Gamagoori opened his mouth. As a survivor of Honnōji Academy for six months he had already heard Gamagoori speech multiple times. It didn't help that No-Stars where constant target for the Disciplinary Committee.

It was when Mankanshoku "desk buddy" stood up and actually _threw_ something at the living shield of the Satsuki Kiryuin.

That caught his attention and did the boy actually have to use a smoke pallet?

He sighed at the poor weapon of choice of the new boy; no rule-breaker could actually escape the intensity that is Ira Gamagoori without help.

Too bad that he couldn't really do anything to help the poor student, then again it was the boy's fault that Gamagoori was on him now. All that Iori can do now was to watch.

Iori hoped he brought enough medical equipment with him today to fix any broken bones the boy was surely going to get.

He discretely checked his school bag to see if he had enough equipment with him.

Only homework for his math class met his sight.

It looks like it a trip back home during lunch was now necessary.

Another window shattered into pieces sending hundreds of fragments of glass over the poor students of Class-K.

It seemed that the toad wanted to fly today.

"Gamagoori has to be pissed today." Couple of students behind the cloak teen whispered to each other. Mentally nodding in his head in agreement, Iori didn't physical showed his support. After all the whisperers in the back were already being tackled down to the ground by One-Star enforcers.

No one in the room noticed the sound of _cracking_ wood as the grumbles between One-Star enforcers and No-Star students got louder.

After all it was a regular day at Honnōji Academy.

* * *

The night loomed menacingly over Honnōji Academy the night completely quick expect for the small noises of insects and the whimpering of the so called ' _traitor_ ' of Honnōji Academy.

He was hanging up in front of the entrance of Honnōji Academy in the nude. Bruises covered his entire body and pus was leaking out of the injured wounds. It was obvious that once the ' _traitor_ ' was taken down from his public embarrassment he would require serious medical assistance.

Or he would be dead from the various wounds that ravaged his body.

This was a fate of a One-Star trying to foolish take on a Three-Star Goku uniform.

A figure formed out of the shadows and walked towards the "naked pig who dared to defy Honnōji Academy". Normally security would be extremely tight at the entrance of Honnōji Academy but due to the example that was now hanging up as some sort of twisted warning sign. Security was lax enough that you could simply walk through the entrance.

"You are greedy enough to deserve this fate…but I can't fault you for wanting to be strong." The figure whispered to the barely conscious pig. The figure reached into their pocket and pulled out a small container.

"This is a balm that should help you with the pain a little bit. I'm sorry that I can't do more." They applied the cream to the darkest bruises and placed a small rag over the boy jewels.

It didn't cover much but at least the injured traitor had some sort of decency now.

"Hey you! Step away from the traitor and beg for Lady Satsuki mercy!" A shout broke the figure out of their train of thought.

The figured turned to see a couple of One-Star guards rushing towards their position.

"I don't want to fight you" Was their reply to the guards.

The closest one snorted and threw a sloppy punch at the cloak figure. They simply side-stepped the blow and use the momentum of the guard to throw him over their shoulder.

The other One-Stars keep their charge up.

"I guess I have no choice then. I'm sorry if this hurts too much." The figure brought up their fist and blocked a punch to their stomach.

The screams of the One-Star night watch filled the once quiet Honnōji Academy night.

* * *

Aikuro Mikisugi was annoyed. One of the reasons why he was teaching at Honnōji Academy was not in the safety of his home.

The history teacher sighed as he stood near the doorway of Katsuki's " _house_ ". Calling it a house would be a stretch, then again every single building in the slums looked like they were going to fall apart any day.

It was a good thing that help Katsuki repair the walls the other day.

Speaking of the devil...

"I was just checking up on my favorite student to notice that he was out late on a school night."

A figure stepped into the light of one of the functioning streetlights in the slums and waved lazily at the concern teacher.

"Mr. Mikisugi it's nice to see you again. What do I own the pleasure of you checking up on me?"

Mikisugi walked over and handed his student a brown briefcase. Katsuki took the briefcase and started to walk towards his locked door.

"Thank you for bring me the extra reading materials I was asking about." The teen looked over to his teacher to smile at him.

"Well it's my duty as an educator to promote learning outside of the classrooms."

"It's still really kind of you Mr. Mikisugi, so thank you. Now I can finally finish that reading assignment you gave me way back then."

Mikisugi folded his arms in front of himself. It seemed that Katsuki didn't want to talk about where he's been. Sometimes teenagers can be such... _teenagers_.

Well let's see if he can dig for some information.

"Went out to help out that student from earlier today?"

Katsuki paused as he opened the door. Was it really that surprising to Katsuki that Mikisugi already knew where he was? Then again it was Mikisugi's job to watch over his more adventurous students. Katsuki was also known to be a person that helps others even when they did not ask for help. It was one of the reasons why he was so like in his neighborhood and why no one dared to mess with him. Then again he was on decent terms with the Mankanshoku family due to him helping out at the so called "Back-alley Doctor" clinic once in a while.

No one messes with friendly acquaintances of the Mankanshoku family, especially due to the fact that Mr. Mankanshoku was the best doctor in the slums.

Even if he killed more patients than actually saving them, but no one sweats the small details.

"Shouldn't a classmate help out his fellow students?" With that Iori Katsuki closed the door behind him.

Mikisugi sighed at his student behavior. It was a bad habit of his but Katsuki was known for his bleeding heart.

The history teacher sent out one more look at the home of his favorite student and sighed again.

He was going to be troublesome.

Mikisugi turned around and started to walk back home, it was getting late and he really needed the sleep.

After all he had a transfer student to deal with tomorrow.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _Well here is the first glimpse of Iori Katsuki and his character. He might seem a little cold at first but once he gets some friends he's going to let his inner worrywart shine. This chapter is also going to smaller than normal chapters that I am going to be writing for this story. I am planning to aim for about 5,000 words for the future chapter of this story and this was kind of a test chapter to see how everything goes._**

 ** _Next Chapter: "Hot-Blooded Devil" New Kid in Town_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you again soon!_**


	2. Hot-Blooded Devil: A New Kid in Town

_**Author's Note**_

 _ **It's nice to see you guys again! Here is the second chapter of "Never Losing the Way"!**_

 _ **Thank you everyone who has reviewed, favorite, follow, or even read the last chapter. It's nice to know that people are enjoying your work and I hope to keep you guys interested with this chapter. This is also R**_ ** _yūko's first POV chapter and I hope I did her justice!_**

 _ **If you see a * please go down to the bottom Author's Note for explanation.**_

 _ **Remember I do not own Kill La Kill and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

...

* * *

She stood on a small bridge that was wide enough for a regular size car. In front of her was the place that all her leads were telling her to go. She would have been her sooner, but beating the living snot out of a person doesn't always give you all the answers you want. Thus, she had to check out other schools in the area before committing to this so called Honnōji Academy. At least they had a common theme about how "Lady Satsuki would average them."

To hell with their precious lady, it didn't save them from the sheer pummeling she dished out on them.

There is reason why she that she enjoyed being called the "Hot-Blooded Devil" instead of her other more famous nickname the "Kanto Vagabond".

It might have been a more accurate title but come on "Hot-Blooded Devil" was way more badass of a name than "Kanto Vagabond".

She smirked as she recalled how she got that nickname.

She still can't believe those pusses thought she can walk through fire unharmed. Yeah it might have sheer awesomeness to walk through a blazing dorm to deliver a wallop to that punk that threw a Molotov Cocktail at her.

Still hurt like hell and it wasn't the first time that she was thankfully about her better than average healing rate.

It made fighting even more fun when she could dish and take more damage than her opponents.

She shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. It wasn't time to remember her past victory over those smug jerks. She was here for a purpose and it was task she cannot fail at.

She grin her teeth together in frustration as she vividly remembered running in the rain after that bitch with the purple scissors. It took six months but just maybe Honnōji Academy did have the answers she was seeking. After all with all the information she could dig up about that _woman_ was that she was seen in the presence of someone called Satsuki Kiryūin.

Ryūko Matoi bet everything article of clothing on her back that this "Satsuki Kiryūin" was a prick.

Why else would her name mean "First bloom of the imperial demon temple"?

Ryūko glared at Honnō City, this was the place where she was post to find all her answers to her six-month search.

She snorted with a frown as at the top of the odd city in front or her. Ryūko had a feeling she was going to hate this place.

Who in their right mind decided to create a fortress city for a school in the middle of Tokyo Bay?

"There it is Honnōji Academy…" Her fists clenched in raged as she finally found the answers she was searching for.

"Don't worry dad I will avenge you." She muttered as she walked forwards into the slums of Honnō City

* * *

It didn't take Ryūko long to get lost in the maze that was the slums of Honnō City. Ryūko may have been the "Guitar Case Drifter" and tons of other fierce nicknames but she had one secret that she refused to become public knowledge.

Ryūko Matoi was absolutely pathetic when it came to directions. She could get lost in a supermarket without realizing it and she knows from experience it wasn't something to admit.

She still could hear the laughter of her dorm mates from boarding school.

She sighed in anger as her progress was cut short due by the incredible amount of traffic that was always a problem in the slums. However, since she just arrived at Honnō City, Ryūko had no idea what to expect.

She did wonder how many people live in this place anyways.

Better yet how did she get lost again when all she did was to take a quite look at a fruit stand to buy a lemon. Not only did she get lost, but she didn't get a freaking lemon!

At least people haven't started a shoot-out like that one time in Mito.

Getting shot was always a pain to explain to hospital doctors. Ryūko still had no idea why she had to file a report about getting shot. As soon as her refusals were deemed "suspicious" by the medical staff, they went to contact the police.

It was the first and last time she visited a hospital for help.

Casually extending her left foot over to trip an incoming thief, she watched in amusement as the punk fell into a nearby ditch. It was the third time in the last five minutes that someone tried to pickpocket her. It was almost as bad as the time she entered the red-light district in Tokyo to hunt down some information about her father's killer.

Ryūko still had no clue why she found a gambling ring that was betting on _candy_ of all things. At least she got to beat the tar out of the people there.

Anyways, the "Guitar Case Drifter" was getting annoyed at her situation and boy could she feel her blood already heating up.

It was at the moment that she walked into a wall. Her bum hit the ground and she looked up to see what she walked into.

Correction it was a living wall…that was wearing a red cloak?

"Oh my, are you alright there?" A male teen asked politely. His brown eyes looked at Ryūko curiously. It was a soft look and for some reason it annoyed Ryūko greatly. Did he think she was weak?

"Hey watch it!" Ryūko glared at the teen. It was then she noticed that he was a little bit shorter than her and not that buff looking.

How did he knock her down in the first place? Was he made of iron or something?

"I believe I was just standing here when you walked into me." The teen moved one of his hands forward to Ryūko. His hand was a very pale and it looked slightly unhealthy.

"Yeah whatever…thanks." His hand barely gasped hers when he pulled her up. Ryūko nearly fell on her face due to the sheer strength of his pull.

"Strong…" She meant it too; it looked like mister pasty here didn't even put any effort in it.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" She rolled her eyes at his response; it seemed that he was one of those wimps' types.

"Fine I'm not fragile or anything." At lot of punks in the past that tried to hit on her quickly learnt that lesson.

"I wasn't saying that." He looked at her closely and his eyebrows shoot up. "You're lost aren't you?"

"N-NO!" It wasn't her smoothest moves.

He smiled softly like he actually cared and the feeling of annoyance quickly hit Ryūko again. "Well if you are trying to get to the Honnōji take a right at the next junction and continued on that road until you hit a small fruit stand. Right next to the fruit stand is one of the main roads that will take you to Honnōji."

"Really?" Well she wasn't to never look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Yup! Well see you later transfer student!" With that the cloaked boy turned on his heel and started to walk away.

Ryūko tighten her fist as she watched the unknown teen walk away. How did he know that she was a transfer student? Was he a spy for the so called 'Satsuki Kiryūin'? Did he know something about her?

Or was she being paranoid? He did seem like a guy that couldn't hurt a fly. The way he was talking and looking at her was like he actually cared if he hurt her.

Was the constant battles and search for that woman was finally frying her nerves?

"Yet that sheer strength…" Ryūko trailed off, she had the odd feeling she was going to meet the odd boy again.

In the end Ryūko decided to put the "Pasty Cloak Boy" on her list of people to look into at Honnōji Academy.

Who knows he might actually know something.

* * *

Ryūko bit into the fresh lemon she recently bought. The sour juice clenching the thirst she was getting. It looks like Cloak Boy was telling the truth about his directions and Ryūko decided he might not be that bad.

It depended if he was leading her into a trap or not. She wasn't born yesterday and she may not be the smartest in the bunch. But she did know that trusting strangers in the slums could lead to her getting killed.

Yet her gut was telling her that he wasn't lying to her. But the way he look at her with actually care…there was no way that a person could be like that in real-life. That crap only happen in those stupid girl manga.

As she pondered about the honesty of the oddly strong wimp, she noticed a little kid running straight towards her.

He was a runt with brown hair tied into a ponytail, the dorkiest pair of white sunglasses that Ryūko has ever seen was trapped in his hair. His clothing suggested that he was very poor, the runt was wearing a short too big for him and his "shorts" where obviously one time a pair of jeans.

He was the perfect definition for a street rat if Ryūko ever saw one and she had a feeling why he was running towards her.

The glint of greed in his brown eyes as he crashed into her gave her everything she needed.

"Sorry about that lady!"

Ryūko raised an eyebrow and watched as the runt ran away. She checked her pockets to see where the little brat stole. Thankfully from previous experience with thieves Ryūko knew how to hide her money from wondering hands.

A twitched started to form on the tomboy's face however.

The little punk took her freaking lemon! She was still eating that!

As swift as lighting Ryūko turned around and jump downwards. Her target was a little tool shed that groan under her total weight.

She wasn't heavy by any means but being fit and carrying a metal guitar case did add itself together.

"What the heck is this? A lemon?!" The runt cried out loud as he realized that he was tricked.

"Well aren't you the spunky one? You must get the kick stealing lemons from people." Ryūko grinned at the little runt that dared to grab her goods. "Nice manors kid, who taught ya?"

The boy looked stunned as Ryūko stanched back her half-eaten lemon.

"Are you that desperate to swap spit with chicks?" She chuckled as she dropped down from the tool shed that was barely holding her weight.

"Don't get all cute with me bitch! I get way more action then you!"

Her grin grew in smugness. "Good, then you can die without any regrets then." He might be a runt but, a fight is a fight to the tomboy.

"Funny I was just about to say that to you! Behold Lighting-Speed Matarō thieving gang!"

On command a group of three boys jumped out of the shadows of the alley, surrounding Ryūko completely. One of the boys even had a chainsaw…which he was barely holding onto.

It was four to one…and they didn't even have a chance.

"Seriously this is all you got? This street punk thing isn't working with ya." She glanced to see the most pathetic gang in her short seventeen years of existence. "You're crew is the goofiest gang ever."

Ryūko looked at the self-proclaimed Lighting-Speed Matarō. "If you want to pick a fight with me that's cool, so let's do this already." Without being noticed by the boy band, she grabbed her guitar case.

She will show them why they call her the "Guitar Case Drifter".

"GO KICK HER ASS!"

The three minions' roars were as fearsome as a wet cat during the raining seasons.

With a flick of her wrist, the three boys where knocked to the ground. Another second and all their weapons flew into the air as Ryūko easily disarmed the child gang with her case.

It was a quick bout.

Ryūko menacingly turned to their so called ringleader and she could tell that the child was shaking in fear.

She didn't target children or like fighting them that much. However, they started the fight and she'll give them a good life lesson for it.

As she was about to charge their "boss", the knocked down boys got up and…

"We give up, you win! Please forgive us!" The four boys shouted as they bow towards the victorious "Guitar Case Drifter".

"What the hell?" The random apology disarmed any aggression Ryūko had at the boys.

"The funny thing is we're a passive aggressive gang! We weren't really going to do anything!" The so called "Lighting-Speed" explained.

…A passive aggressive gang?

That's a new one.

"I'm not going to fight people who weren't going to fight back. There's no fun in that." Ryūko smirked at the boys. It seemed that they were just street rats hoping to make a quick buck. Nothing harmful and it looked like they learnt their lesson.

"Well I guess I can let it slide this time." Ryūko started to walk towards Honnōji Academy. It seemed that she did get good directions. Maybe today was going to be a good day.

"HOLD IT!"

WHACK!

"WHY SIS WHY?!"

Her walk was stopped cold in its tracks when she heard the runt's shout. Leaning her head back Ryūko saw a brown-haired high school girl wearing a sailor uniform and her hair was styled in a bob cut. She had the runt in a professional arm lock.

Apparently from the scream of pain and familiarly the runt's older sister just flying tackled him into the ground and then forced him into an arm lock.

Try to say that five times fast.

"It looks like you're mugging folks at the crack of dawn again!" Her high pitch voice judging her younger brother actions, his reaction did little to prove her theory wrong.

"Oh crap it's my big sister! I wasn't trying to rob anyone!" The arm lock became even more painful for the young boy. He tried to struggle pitifully out of it but failed to even move his sister an inch.

Ryūko was trying not to laugh at the runt's misfortune and at the same time trying to understand what the hell is going on.

Who actually tries to fly tackle someone in real life? Doesn't stuff like that only happen in anime?

The older sister lifted the runt right into the air and gave him a nasty overhead hold.

The poor boy didn't even have a chance.

"How many times have I told you to stop robbing people? Better yet why don't you take your sorry butt to school?"

Without giving him a chance to answer her or a chance to breathe, the bob cut girl switched into a leg lock.

Ryūko was just gob smacked at the escalating situation and Matarō friends were in similar position.

With bit more fear in their expressions of course.

"Do you have a death wish? _WELL DO YOU!?_?" More scream of anguish from the lost and dammed.

"Oh god" Both legs were now stuck in the lock. "I'LL GO IF YOU WILL JUST STOP!" The older sister released her prisoner and he quickly got on his feet.

The boy now free from his prison, fled like wolves were biting at his heels. His so called gang quickly joined his flight.

No one wanted to suffer the same fate as their leader.

Once he deemed that he was far enough, Matarō turned around waving his fist at his sister.

"Yeah right I get an education you dumb bitch!"

The bob cut girl sighed. "That little dumb jerk…oh well I just let mom handle it later." She turned to face a shocked Ryūko.

She was still trying to figure out what just occurred in front of her.

"Sorry about my brother. Ar-"

A school bell rang deeply through the slums, like magic all the slackers and tardy students ran like the gates of hell were unleashed. No-Star students quickly learned that being late to Honnōji Academy was asking for a death sentence.

The brown haired girl jumped in the air terrified and dashed to a cable car that was climbing the hill.

Ryūko just watched in silence as the girl tried multiple times to jump onto the cable car.

She got on it the fourth try.

"What the hell…is wrong with this place?" Ryūko mumbled as she continued her trek towards Honnōji Academy.

Sometimes being the transfer student _sucked_.

* * *

"Today class we have a new transfer student. Her name is Ryūko Matoi (纏流子)* and she'll be in her care from now on. Please treat her well." Ryūko just stared at her new classmates in boredom. She had repeated this process uncountable amount of times during the last six months and it was always the same type of introduction used.

Actually she thinks this is the fifteenth time the exact same introduction was used for her. At least this time her new teacher had blue hair and looked like he just got out of bed.

It's was the small details like that which allowed Ryūko to know that she hadn't fallen in some weird matrix like dream. The curious stares of her new classmates got annoying the first couple of times.

Such things became predicable and boring to the fighting loving tomboy after the first couple of times she transferred schools.

Ryūko lazily scanned the room for anyone that might be useful to her or cause her issues on her quest.

A couple of students were of interest to Ryūko. It appeared that she shared the same class with the bob-cut hair style girl that could dish out painful wresting moves and right behind her was the cloaked boy from earlier!

She sighed in relief at the sight.

That's how he knew she was a transfer student, he wasn't a spy or anything like that. Instead he was just her new classmate. It would make sense for a teacher to tell his class that they were getting a new student.

He could still be a spy for that "Satsuki Kiryūin" lady but the chances of that were slim.

Maybe her travels were really getting to her?

"RYUKO! RYUKO! SIT OVER HERE!"* The perky pain dishing girl from earlier was trying to get her attention. Right next to her was the only empty seat in the classroom.

"See this seat is free! Come sit over here Ryūko!" The brown haired girl ramblings seemed to snap out red loving teen behind her from the daydream that held him captive. He seemed surprised to see Ryūko standing in front of his class.

Then boy in red looked over to her gave her a small nod of acknowledgement.

Ryūko nodded back as a measure of thanks for earlier and looked over to her teacher.

Mr. Mikisugi realized she was wanting for him to tell her where to sit.

"Ah it looks like the seat next to Mankanshoku is empty. What don't you sit over there Ryūko?"

"You got it teach."

Ryūko sluggish sat in her new student desk and turned to face the boy who helped her out.

"Thanks for earlier."

He rested his head on his left hand as he turned to face her. Ryūko could tell from the small rings under his eyes that he was tired.

He raised an eyebrow from her statement. "It was no problem Ryūko…err if I can you by your first name."

Ryūko snorted at his hesitant reply, it looked like her earlier assumption of him was right on target.

"Don't worry about it. Call me by whatever, I could care less about it."

"Oh Gosh you know Iori too Ryūko?" The newly named Mankanshoku cheerfully roared.

Ryūko chuckled a bit at the overly excited girl. "Yeah I ran into Iori earlier. Ah it's Mankanshoku right?" Mankanshoku didn't need to know the detail that she got lost and it was only by the newly named Iori that she mange to get her in the first place.

"Yep my name is Mako Mankanshoku! You can call me Mako though desk buddy!"

Ryūko had no idea what Mako meant by desk buddy.

Iori chuckled at her confused expression.

"Mankanshoku is just excited to meet you and anyone who sits next to her is her desk buddy."

"You got it Iori!" Mako proclaimed and then her personality turned three hundred and sixty degrees as she fixed the boy with a glare. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me by first name? You work for my dad for goodness sake!" Well now Ryūko knows how they know each other so closely.

"It would be unprofe-"Iori tried to say before Mako shoved a hand in his face.

"Nope!"

"But Mank-"He tried one more time before the girl's glare increased tenfold.

"MAKO!"

"…"

"…"

The boy sighed in defeat at the energy filled girl. "Fine Mako, I still find it unprofessional for me to call my boss' daughter by her first name."

Mako patted Iori on the head; the boy simply fixed her with a weak glare. "He doesn't care about that anyways! You should know that by now Iori!"

Ryūko smiled at amusement at the two friends. They didn't seem that bad and maybe they could help her in her search. Even if they can't help her; at least she had a front row seat to some entertainment for once.

It was then that Ryūko remember about the sight she saw on the way here.

Then again it would be hard to forget a naked guy being hung as a twisted Christmas ornament in front of your new school.

"Mako, Iori do you know about the dead guy at the front gates?"

Mako paused for second as she struggle to remember. Iori reaction was covered by the large amount of hair he had.

It was Mako that answered Ryūko's question. "Oh that guy? Stuff like that happen all the times! He was punished for casing trouble for Lady Satsuki!"

"I think you mean _purged_ by oh so _glorious_ lady." Iori corrected her harshly with a whisper. He didn't want to be heard by the two girls. However, the tomboy overheard him make his rather interesting statement.

This got Ryūko to raise an eyebrow at him. It seemed that he did have some fire in him after all.

"Don't worry about it though Ryūko! You'll get used to it soon!" Mako happily finished.

Mikisugi interrupted any chance of a continuation of the conversation between the three. He started to ramble on about the history of the Third Reich and the rise of Hitler.

Beside her Mako pulled out a bento out of _somewhere_ and started to devour the content inside of it. After she finished it, Mako placed her head on her desk.

She was asleep before her head even touched the desk.

Iori on the other hand quickly entered his dreamland that he was in earlier.

A snore interrupted Ryūko shaky concentration on the lecture; she turned to see her new acquaintances.

They were both asleep.

"What already? He only just started to teach again?!"

* * *

The history lesson was a bore for Ryūko and her other classes were not that much better. She tried to pass the time by watching her other classmates. However, unlike Mako and Iori the rest were a bore. It was only the sound of the lunch bell that saved Ryūko from following her new comrades into the realm of sleep.

She wouldn't admit it to anyone but the air raid siren they use as a lunch bell startled her.

This school wasn't really a school at all…instead it was a military academy.

Well that was the vibe that Ryūko was getting from Honnōji Academy so far.

"At least that's over with…maybe I can get something to eat here." She murmured as she swung her guitar case on her back.

"OH RYUKO!"

Ryūko tilted her head to see an incoming missile speeding at her; normally she would give a whack at the upcoming blur. But Ryūko knew who it was.

Stepping to the side to dodge the incoming Mako missile, Mako slammed into the ground hard and then tumbled into a nearby trash can. Ryūko was expecting herself to be shocked by her new acquaintance's actions.

Yet she was completely unfazed by the human missile. Then again compared to what she has seen in the last six months was it really surprising to the drifter?

She still wanted to believe that she hallucinated that whole Kobe accident with the Russia tank…

But this school was already showing itself how insane it was and it was already affecting her!

She wasn't even finish with her first day here!

"Hey why didn't you catch me?" Mako asked disappointingly and Ryūko just give her a _look_.

"Sane people tend to dodge stuff that come flying at them out of nowhere."

"That's no fun!" Ryūko resisted the urge to sigh at the brown haired girl.

"…That wasn't the point Mako."

The girl pouted at Ryūko. "I just wanted to give my bestie a hug!" Ryūko turned towards her strange companion, frowning slightly at her. What was Mako trying to pull her?

"Bestie?" She asked nonchalant.

"Well we're desk buddies now so we are totally beastie now!" Mako grabbed her bag excitedly as she continued her strange trail of logic. "So, that means we are the best of friends!"

"…Right."

Mako paid no attention to Ryūko's hesitation to her declaration of friendship. "By the way do you play the guitar? Come on play some tunes for me! I can sing along or sing for you! Please it would be fun!"

Ryūko just continued to walk as Mako sang a song that was not worth any effort to pay attention too. This girl was very energetic and it would explain why her only friend sleeps in class all the time.

She would too if she had to entertain Mako's unstoppable amount of energy.

However, Mako could tell her something about this school. Ryūko twitched as she saw Mako standing on her school bag wobbly as she sung some random tune. She tried her best not to be annoyed at Mako, it wouldn't be worth it.

"Oh god can you calm done? I got a quick question for you Mako." In an instance Mako was at Ryūko's side.

"Sure!" Well that was quick.

"Who's the queen bee of this school and do you know someone by the name Satsu-. " Ryūko was cut off from her line of questioning when Mako started to force her into a bow. She quickly shrugged off Mako's grip and stood at her full height.

"Ryūko you got to bow before it's too late! Lady Satsuki is coming through!" Mako cried.

The one of the things Ryūko hated was giving respect to people she didn't' even know. She conveniently decided that her hearing wasn't working and stood up. It pissed Ryūko off that the whole crowd of students where now in lines bowing in fear at someone.

Did that punk think she ruled over the lives of the people here?

Her short rebellion was cut short when she felt a ton of steel pulled her down. She turned to the asshole who dared try to make her bow. Her glare bounced off a very serious looking Iori Katsuki.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ryūko was putting all her strength to stand back up, however it was for naught. Iori's strength was simply too much for the tomboy and Ryūko was disturbed by it. Was she really that weak that some pale stick boy could hold her down without any effort?

"I'm watching out for my classmate before she gets killed for _stupidity_." He hissed at her response. Ryūko was taken back by the venom of his voice; he had _steel_ behind his words.

"If you don't want to end up like that poor man in front of the school then bow for a bit." In an instance Iori was back to his regular self. It was like his previous remark didn't even occur.

Something was really off about the boy.

The sound of marching cut off any response that Ryūko had coming to the cloaked boy. Ryūko cursory pivoted to see a giant walking down the line of students. His uniform was different in design to the regular folk that Ryūko encountered so far at the school what caught her attention the most was the sharp spikes on his shoulders and metal steel gauntlets.

Overall Ryūko was not impressed at all. He just looked like some Yankee punk that needed a good boot to the face and a nice trip to the hospital courtesy of Matoi airlines. She decided to voice her thoughts.

"Is he a big shot here?"

"Yeah he's a Three-Star!"

"A three star and who is he?" Ryūko uttered in confusion, waiting for Mako to explain more in detail. It was Iori that explained who the guy was.

"Ira Gamagoori…the head of the Disciplinary Committee and the murderer of the student you saw earlier." Iori growled as he brought the hand that force down Ryūko to his side in a fist.

Mako started to explain once Iori was reduced to growls of anger at the Discipline Head.

"Yeah he's super strong and part of the super elite four of Lady Satsuki! He's three ranks above us No-Star students. That means he's like super powerful!"

"No-Star?" Here were more terms that Ryūko had no clue about.

"That's what we are Ryūko! The uniforms here are called Goku Uniforms and they give people super powers! The start from One to Three-Stars and at the top is the student council president, Satsuki Kiryūin. She is the one who gives out the Goku Uniforms to the students based on their abilities. In short they're awesome!"

Satsuki Kiryūin…she was woman that all of Ryūko's information told her about, the woman that held the entirety of eastern Japan's high schools in her iron grip. This Satsuki according to her information was seen in rumor with a woman with a scissor blade.

The _bitch_ that killed her father and whom she was chasing for the last six months of her life.

For the first time in six months Ryūko Matoi's blood _boiled_.

She finally found the answers she was seeking.

"So this Satsuki Kiryūin is the student council president here and the top dog of the school?"

"Exactly! Speaking of the devil, look it's Lady Satsuki!"

Hearing Mako's declaration, Ryūko turned to see a senior student walking down the stairs of the plaza. She was tall and slim; her long black hair cascaded down to her back. Her face was very angular and two huge eyebrows were adored on her face. Her military style outfit was a purity-white in color with some baby blue and gold as secondary colors. A large katana was strapped at her side; it was also white in color.

Her entire posture screamed that she was better than anyone and it had a commanding feeling to it. She was a person that Ryūko could tell ruled with an iron fist over her students and the pissed her off.

Ryūko hated people who thought they could use their so called authority to stomp over people.

It looked like her earlier guess about "First bloom of the imperial demon temple" being a prick was true.

With her blood boiling even more, Ryūko Matoi stood up.

" _Sorry_ to interrupt your little parade but I hear that you're the queen bee of this school. I got a couple of question for ya!"

Mako still in line turned towards Iori with horror on her face. "What is Ryūko thinking? Oh no Lady Satsuki is going to kill her!" She whispered quickly to her friend, she didn't want to go back down in having only one friend!

"I think you should call your dad about Mako…we might need to get ready in worst case scenario." He whispered back as they watch a crowd of One-Star students get the snot handed to them by Ryūko.

Both of them we're worried about the beating that Ryūko was going to get and the girl in question had no idea what she was walking into.

A click that wouldn't normally be heard due to the noise of the crowd, echoed ominously throughout the plaza. The sun reflected sharply on a blood red metal as Ryūko grabbed her weapon of choice.

It was a scissor blade.

"Is that a sword or a scissor?"

"Nah it has to be a sword!"

"A half of a scissor?"

"Sword-scissor?"

The crowd mumbled in astonishment and confusion at Ryūko's weapon of choice. It was something completely new and never seen before, it looked like it belonged in some fighting anime.

"A…scissor blade?" Iori mumbled to himself as he stared at it in horror.

"Wow it's a giant scissor!" Even Mako who was used to such odd sights was shocked by Ryūko's sword.

"Yup, it's one half of a giant pair of scissors" Satsuki's eyes moved a little in surprise and shock; it was a small movement but a movement that Ryūko caught. It seemed like her information was right on the spot.

Satsuki Kiryūin did know something about the events of her dad's death and maybe even the killer herself.

A _woman_ …killed her father.

With angry snarl Ryūko continued. "For the last six months I have been on the lookout for the owner of the other half. From that expression on your face I bet you know where she is. You've seen the other part haven't you?! Tell me where the owner is! WHERE IS SHE?!"

Satsuki Kiryūin simply stared at Ryūko in disinterest. Unknown by Ryūko and the crowd she placed a hand on her hilt of her katana.

"What if I have?"

The nonchalant way that Satsuki stated that question threw Ryūko of guard for a moment. Raw rage started to pump itself though Ryūko's veins as she stared at her father's killer.

There was no question to it…Satsuki Kiryūin was her father's murderer.

"YOU"RE THAT _**BITCH**_ WITH THE SCISSOR BLADE! _**I FUCKING FOUND YOU**_!"

With a death grip on her father's blade, Ryūko charged forwards to avenge her father.

"TEK!" An iron glove rammed itself into Ryūko's face. Her body flew into the air, she didn't move due to the shock of the blow.

"KEN!" Another blow with the force of a semi-truck exploded into Ryūko's stomach. The force of the blow caused Ryūko to gasp for air and see the third blow that was heading towards her face.

"FUN!"

"SAI!" The final blow sent Ryūko flying into the crowd. A storm of innocent bystanders were now friends with the air. Ryūko's body skidded across the ground, rips and cuts adorned her delinquent style clothes. She weakly got up as she spat blood across the ground.

"With your permission Lady Satsuki let me finish off this insolent wrench!" A squat of a man asked Satsuki. His uniform wasn't really a student uniform, but instead a boxing outfit with a rather large helmet with two stars stitched on it.

The helmet was obviously too big for the boxer, this is the curse of being short.

"Boxing Club President Takahara Fukuroda you have my permission."

Ryūko roared back into the battle shoving away anyone that dared stand in her way. She swung her scissor blade forwards trying to bisect the short man in two from the waist up.

The sound of steel hitting steel echoed out in the plaza as Ryūko's blow was parried by the boxer.

"T-The hell?" Ryūko wheezed, the force of the block nearly causing her to drop her blade. "Is that glove made of iron?!"

Fukuroda laughed at the transfer student mistake; did this fool really think she could take on Lady Satsuki?

"Transfer Student do you even know your uniforms?"

"Uniform? You're not even wearing a shirt!"

"A shirt? Do you not know what a boxer is?" Fukuroda put down his guard as he open his mouth to lecture Ryūko.

That's when she struck, only the power of the Two-Star Goku Uniform prevented Fukuroda from losing his right arm. A large cut on his arm was proof that his Uniform powers just saved his life.

"YOU WHORE!" The boxer captain roared as his blood splatted his uniform.

"You the dumbass that thinks he can just yap and shit during a fight! You're pissing me off looking down on me! I'm not going to pull any more punches!" Ryūko gave him the finger as she flipped her blade over from the blunt edge to true edge.

"Pulling punches? I beat you in the ground!" The Two-Star charged the transfer student and unleashed a hurricane of left jabs and hooks.

In a blur of movement that was barely visible to Ryūko's sight her body was assaulted by barrage of punches. She tried to force her body to dodge but she was to slow.

"Here's an uppercut that'll finish your ass!" The height challenge man roared as he unleashed his finishing move on the tomboy. Ryūko soar into the air and landed painful on the ground. Blood erupted across her face and her right arms had her life liquid gushing down from a large cut.

She was finished.

Satsuki frowned at the pathetic sight in front of her. Her eyebrows crumpling in distaste at the short fight, was this post to be the heir of Matoi?

How distasteful…

"I thought you would prove yourself slightly amusing. It seems that you're just a fool who doesn't even understand how to use that scissor in your hands. How dull…" She started to walk away from the scene. It was a large waste of time.

"Not so…fast!" Ryūko gasped as she struggled to move her body into a sitting position. "I finally found you…you know something don't you!"

A drop kick met her demands as the boxer captain answered for his lady. Ryūko was sent flying once more into the air and landed a couple of feet away.

"You dare think you can make a demand of Lady Satsuki you piece of trash?" The boxer hissed at the transfer student in a murderously.

Satsuki stopped. "Fukuroda finish her off and confiscate that scissor blade of her, it deserves someone better than a fool."

"By your will Lady Satsuki."

"Fuck you…" Ryūko used her weapon as a leverage to stand up; her stance was pitiful and shaking from the slightest of movement.

"This is the one thing you can never take from me! I rather die than allow you to touch this blade!"

She somehow was able to swing her blade at the Two-Star who mockingly dodge her blow. She repeated her futile attacks five more times before she almost collapsed from sheer exhaustion and her wounds.

"Well I guess I'll just finish you off now." The boxer pulled back his gloved right fist to give one more blow to the transfer student.

Ryūko Matoi was going to be the next on the list of students who perished trying to defy Satsuki Kiryūin.

That was the general consensus of the crowd that watched on grimly as they wanted the new student' death.

Until the earth _trembled_ with the wraith of the gods, the rumbling soon came next as the entire city of Honnō _shook_.

Honnōji Academy was built to withstand the ravages of war but the sheer force of Mother Nature? That was completely different story. The school started to rumble as parts of the walls started to collapse from the sheer force. The students were quickly knocked off their legs and even Satsuki Kiryūin tripped before she caught herself.

The boxer captain on the other hand fell on his face and struggled to stand. Seeing a chance Ryūko used the last of her strength to dash towards the entrance of the school. She had to dodge chucks of the wall as they collapsed around her.

Luckily for her at the entrance of the academy, a soba delivery guy was thrown from his bike. His deliveries splattered on the ground as the shaking continued, jumping onto the scooter Ryūko noticed the keys were in the ignition.

Without hesitation she drove full speed away from Honnōji Academy with her scissor blade strapped across her back.

She had to get away and she knew one place where no one would look for her…

 _ **Home**_

* * *

Satsuki Kiryūin stared at the sight around her, her school that she built from the ground up. Parts of the large walls surrounding her stronghold were shattered on the ground, the building itself suffered very little damage.

The freak earthquake that happened out of nowhere did very little damage that could be repair within a week. The information that she was receiving told her that the epic-center of the magnitude-four earthquake was at the plaza that the so called transfer student fought in.

That shouldn't be physically possible and she doubted that delinquent in her condition could cause such a thing.

The rest of Honnō City was affected with very minor damage in the slums and nothing noteworthy in the other levels. It was interesting to note that no one died or severely injured.

"An earthquake? Interesting…"

She had a school to rebuild and Inumuta was already searching for the cause behind the unnatural earthquake.

As Satsuki Kiryūin walked back towards her tower, she wondered if there were any other surprises in store for her today.

* * *

Ryūko barely parked the scooter in front of the Matoi Mansion. It was once a large house with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, three libraries, and even a small indoor pool. It was a home that Ryūko barely remembered but the few memories she still had were fond ones.

It was her home for six years before she was sent to bordering school by her mysterious dad. He was a dad that was barely there for her and would rarely respond to her letters that she sent him every week. Yet the few replies that he did send were like gold to Ryūko. It was proof that her dad actually loved and cared for her.

When he sent for her to come back home six months ago, her heart became light and filled with happiness. The frown that was permanent on her face since junior high started to fade away, even her teachers noticed her change in attitude.

Even fighting the one constant in her life that she enjoyed greatly started to become a chore to her.

She had no reason to fight anymore; her father finally wanted her back. Ryūko wouldn't let the last twelve years of abandonment simply fade away and her father would get an earful maybe even a couple of punches in the face once she returned to him.

But it didn't matter, she had a family again!

She was full of hopes and dreams until she found her father against the wall blood pouring from his guts with a scissor blade impaled in him.

The skies started to pour as she remembered that night. As she opened the door to a new dream, a bloody nightmare greeted her instead. She remembered her father gasping out her name as she raced into their living room. How he barely had the strength left to pass on a few words and how he loved her so much.

That's when she saw that _woman_ with the scissor blade, like a rat fleeing from the scene of her victim. She grabbed the murdered tool of her father from his hands and was about to chase her until her father stopped her.

It was then she heard his last words.

"Ryūko if you wish to have a peaceful life leave me here and walk away. If you take that Scissor, you're sure to find the person who killed me. But a cruel fate lies in store for you…R-Ryūko."

How could she choose peace and walk away from her father's murder? How could she forget the love of her father even if it was scarcely shown towards her? Her father was murdered for a reason and he sent her away to protect her.

How could her blood not _**boil**_ in sheer rage at the thought of just walking away?

She chose her path and chased after that _woman_ with the scissor blade. As she ran to hunt down that filthy rat, her childhood home burst into flames. She could only watch as her father and the memories of time past burnt to the ground.

Something hit her face that snapped her back into the present. As she grabbed the objected in front of her face she noticed it was a picture of her as a child. It was a picture of a five year old version of her standing next to her father. She had a frown on her face as her father forced her to be "girly" and wear pink shirt. She hesitantly touched the picture version of her red bang that she had since her could remember. Her father's face was half-way gone due to time and the fire.

Lifting her shirt up, Ryūko gently put the picture in her bra. It was the driest place left on her.

She stumbled forwards as she stared at the place she saw her father bleeding out. Her blade plunged towards the ground as she held onto it with all her strength.

"Dad…" She gasped out as she struggle to stand and not break down and cry. She failed her father and almost got killed in the process. How was she post to avenge her father if she died?

Her scissor blade dug into her injured body as she used it as a makeshift crutch, she had to be strong. She refused to fall on this hallow site and the resting place of her father.

"I found her dad...I found your killer." Ryūko breathed out heavy as she cursed herself and the situation she was in. Why did she have to be so weak? Why couldn't she defeat that bastard of a midget in a fight? How could she fall her quest that she was on for six months?

"Just as I was about to know why and bring you justice…I failed! I couldn't do it dad!" Tears that she refused to shed started to well up from her eyes. "If only if I wasn't so damn weak I could have saved you! If I wasn't so god damn useless you wouldn't be dead!"

Ryūko couldn't hold on to her father's legacy and collapsed onto her knees. The rain battered her injure body and she lost all sense of time. She shouldn't come back to her father grave as a failure…her search for answers have been for naught. Her father's murder would never face justice from robbing Ryūko's only family from her. Everything has been for nothing.

"Dad I'm so sorry I am too weak to avenge you and put you to rest." Tears started to fall from her face and join the sky in morning. She struggled to hold her lost in but she couldn't anymore.

"If only I could be strong…"

The floor beneath her gave away.

"SHIT!" She screamed as she fell into the darkest.

* * *

Ryūko burst through the roof of a hidden room and fell into a large pile of clothing.

She weakly looked around to see herself in large room filled with discarded clothes.

"Where did this room come from?" She cringed in pain from her landing. "Is this why dad told me to never go into the basement?"

Ryūko tried to stand and escape the place she found herself in until an acute pain shot through her arm. She glanced down to see her blood flowing heavily from her arm. It seemed that her wound from the boxer captain reopened due to the fall.

"You have the worse timing." She told herself as she ignored the pain and shakily stood up. Ryūko had no idea what her father was doing her and she wanted to know more. However, today wasn't the day to explore this basement. Her wounds were severe and she was starting to lose a large amount of blood.

"I gotta to get out of here…damn it I'll search this place next time."' Ryūko did her best not to tumble down the hill of clothing she found herself on. She finally reached the bottom of the hill and she started to move across the clothing covered floor, she could have sworn to hear the rustling of clothes.

" _ **Wait…"**_ A muffled voiced called out, the deep voice sounded tired like it was struggling to stay awake. " _ **More, Give me more…I need more."**_

"Who's there?!" Ryūko cried as she turned around…to meet nothing but clothes. She quickly scanned the room for the voice. Her heart beat rapidly as she was preparing for a fight. There was nothing there, but past experiences have taught her better.

"Whoever is here, get the hell out or else!" She roared her defiance into the basement. The voice went away and after a while even the rustling stop.

"Must've scared them away." She whispered to herself, she almost fell on her face. She could feel herself get light-headed from her wounds. She had to find a way out of here as soon as possible.

" _ **I found you!"**_

The sound of movement erupted behind her, using the last fumes of her strength. Ryūko grabbed the handle of her sword and twirled it around her, slicing through what appears to be an old shirt.

The lighting in the room started to get darker, and Ryūko could see something large heading towards her.

"The hell?" As the shape became solid in her vision, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Is that…a talking sailor uniform?"

" _ **Give me more!"**_ The black and red uniform screamed at his prey.

The talking sailor slammed into Ryūko with force, her body tumbling into the wall as she tried to get the thing off her. Two shapes like eyes stared at her one of them was scared heavy with an eye patch; however the other one was glazing at her like she was _food_.

" _ **Don't leave me!"**_ The sailor uniform shouted as it somehow wrapped it sleeves around her arms and slammed itself against her chest. Her wounds sapped her of her strength as Ryūko's tried desperately to remove the nightmarish uniform off her body. " _ **Why are you looking at me like that? Take off your clothes already so you can wear me!"**_

Ryūko was terrorized at the sight of a bloodshot red eye staring at her hungrily. She was in shock that the uniform was holding her until it started to feel up her body!

"W-What the hell do you think you are?" The groping of her body became even rougher as the talking uniform started to shed whatever clothing Ryūko had on left. Ryūko's face burned like lava as her assaulter pushed past every sense of boundaries Ryūko still had. "Just get the hell off me!"

" _ **Just wear me already and give me lots of your blood! I don't ever want to go back to sleep again!"**_

Ryūko's mind could not comprehend the sight of her being taken advantage by a talking sailor uniform. She dumbly stared as her skirt was ripped in two and flung across the room by the attacking creature.

"You're a talking sailor uniform…"

The sailor uniform with a male voice stopped his assault for a moment when he felt his human stop her struggles. Was she finally going to put him on her?

He looked up to see her in a dazed like state.

" _ **Is it that important that I talk?"**_

His voice brought his human back into reality when she realized that he was actually trying to talk to her.

"It is important! Wher-"Instead of hearing the okay to put himself on her, he decided to ignore her complaints. After all he really wants to be worn!

" _ **That's not important! PUT ME ON!"**_

"THE HELL IT IS AND GET THE HE-"

Ryūko was slammed into the wall again as the uniform finally had enough of his human refusing to wear her him.

" _ **If you refuse I guess I just have to just force!"**_

"What do you not understand?! I SAID NO!"

" _ **TOO LATE!"**_ The talking sailor uniformed happily informed her. He could feel her heat, her blood, and her shape fit him perfectly. It was like she was made for him!

" _ **SEE I'M A PERFECT FIT!"**_

Pure power filled every pore of Ryūko's body; she trembled as red energy sparked around her. She could feel him somehow and feel his strength filling her veins, she wanted to throw him off as soon as possible but couldn't' do it, the rush of power was too much.

But what was bothering her most was how did she know it was a he?

Why could she feel her and him? What was with the power pouring into her like a torrent? Whatever it was she couldn't hold it in anymore.

All she could see was a flash of red as she roared to the heavens.

For the first time in her life Ryūko Matoi felt truly _strong_.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 ** _* Anytime a character name is written down I will be putting their name down in Kanji next to it. Name are important and the meaning of their names are even more important in this story._**

 ** _*Ryūko name when it is completely capitalized is RYUKO in this story because I can't find a capitalize version of ū._**

 _ **Right that's the end of the first chapter for Ryūko! I think it came out pretty well and I try to flesh out her character a little bit more. In the anime they really don't say what happen to Ryūko during her six months before the show proper and I felt like I show explain what happen without doing a whole chapter about it. I guess you can say "you'll learn more about Ryūko as you read". So yeah I hope d you guys enjoyed this chapter and if you have any questions send me a PM!**_

 _ **Next Chapter: "Hot-Blooded Devil": Target in Sight**_

 _ **See ya later and have a nice day!**_


	3. Hot-Blooded Devil: Target in Sight

**_Author's Note_**

 ** _It's nice to see you everyone again! Here is the third chapter of "Never Losing the Way" fresh off press!_**

 ** _I thank everyone who review, favorite, follow, or just click on this story. It's you people that keep me going and it's nice to know that people enjoy my work, you know? This is another chapter from Ryūko POV. Also this chapter was really fun to write and some of the scenes here made me chuckle a bit. I also hope that this chapter causes some questions to form among you guys._**

 ** _If you see a * please go down to the bottom Author's Note for explanation._**

 ** _Remember I do not own Kill La Kill (I do own Iori Katsuki so, no stealing!) and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

* * *

...

* * *

The sheer power that filled Ryūko left her in a beam of blood red energy. It blasted a hole through the basement ceiling, the noise forcing Ryūko back into reality. Regaining her senses, she quickly looked around to see that she was still in the basement. During the scan of her surroundings she noticed that her arm was covered by something. Twisting her right arm around to get a better look at it, she saw that it was covered by an arm glove in her favorite colors black and red.

Ryūko decided to look down to check out the rest of her new outfit. So far it looked pretty promising to the tomboy.

Her face instant flushed at the sight of her bare stomach and upper chest area, she didn't expect to see that! It was weird because Ryūko knew that she was bare in those areas…yet she felt him covering her there. Ryūko had no idea how the talking sailor uniform changed her outfit in the first place and it was starting to bother her.

It wasn't normal to show so much skin in public in the first place.

Ryūko decided to bite the bullet and finish looking at rest of her new trends.

The sight that Ryūko saw destroyed any positive feelings she once had for the freak of nature. It turned her into a freaking hoe!

"Oh God! What type of _kinky_ outfit are you?!" Ryūko screamed her disapproval at him. Not only was he a talking uniform but he's a fucking pervert as well!

Ryūko's increasing amount of rage was well deserved. He was an outfit that can only be described as stripperiffic.

Even if it wasn't an actually word, it was the only thing that came to her mind.

Most of her upper body was bare for the world to see, and her lower half was covered but in a way that would get the imagination rolling in a bad way. Her collars became enlarged to a point where they covered her upper breast up; his only good eye looked at her curiously as she continued to check out the rest of the outfit. A red pair of suspenders connected her upper half to her lowly areas; they also seemed to form a V-shape as they went down. They were attached to the smallest skirt that Ryūko had the displeasure of ever wearing.

At least the skirt was in her second favorite color (black) and it was very comfortable. Thigh-highs covered her entire legs and they were mostly in black with red accents. Her comfortable sneakers were replaced with a set of high heels that matched the rest of her outfit.

Ryūko was surprised that she was still standing, she never worn high heels before due how girly they were.

She may be a girl but it doesn't mean that she has to like fashion and all that useless crap.

However, his " _transformed_ " form left a bad taste in her mouth. How was she post to fight in this in front of other people? Maybe she was over thinking about his form and this was some sort of a default form, like those robot games she played a couple of times at the arcade when she was in junior high.

" ** _This is who I am."_** This was his nonchalant reply to his wearer.

He didn't understand the problem at all. Shouldn't she be proud of her body and show the world that they have become one? He could hear her heartbeat and yet she still couldn't feel him? Why was she resisting to open her heart to him? He felt remorse that their first union was involuntary and brutish but he couldn't afford to go back to sleep once he tasted her blood.

He knew that she was the one and yet she was _afraid_ and _disgusted_ at him!

Why were human beings so strange and baffling creatures?

The matter of fact tone he used pushed Ryūko past the point of no return. Did he really think that she was going to walk out in public dressed like some washed up hoe? Plus he didn't even answer her question in the first place!

She was going to destroy this damn uniform for forcing her into such a thing in the first place!

"What the hell is that post to mean?"

" ** _That this is my form and I am happy to say that I am a perfect fit."_**

"A perfect fit?! Who the hell cares about that shit! Change me back, no better yet get the hell off of me!"

Ryūko struggled against the creature that she was wearing, her efforts were for nothing. He was stuck on her like some sort of super glue and he wouldn't budge an inch.

She did everything she could think of to get rid of the freak of nature and in frustration jumped into the air to rip him off her.

BOOM

Ryūko heard a large explosion and was in a daze. As she tried to figure out where the hell she was she noticed that the ceiling looked odd.

It was filled with random piles of clothes and sailor uniforms, very similar to the floor she was just on.

Wait a second…

"How the heck did that happen…I'm stuck in the ceiling?" The realization awed Ryūko and the feeling of strength that filled her veins earlier started to surge through her once more. It was then she realized that the strength gifted to her by him never left her in the first place.

Still it didn't explained how she jumped forty feet into the air and smashed into the ceiling of the basement without any injures.

" ** _This power is ours."_** Ryūko lowered her head to stare at his eye in confusion.

" ** _The taste of your blood awakened me. When you wear me…no_** **_rather when I am worn by you this power activates. "_** He explained to his human, he could see the fear in her eyes changing into something different. He really couldn't' understand human emotions in the same ways as person can. But he was still able to recognize the emotion that was now replacing her fear.

Relief, like an unseen burden was lifted from her shoulder. He didn't even know if she noticed it but her face slipped into something beautiful.

A smile, it was small but the emotion and intent behind it filled him with happiness. He knew that he would risk ever single fiber of his to protect that smile of hers. He would rather unravel into nothing then let that face be perverted or destroyed by anyone else.

She was his beloved partner and he would refuse to let _anything_ stand in her way of happiness.

Now if he could only get her to open herself fully to him…

"W-What _are_ you?" Her relief quickly dissipated into curiosity that was mixed with anxiety.

" ** _I don't know."_**

"The Hell? Didn't you just tell me how you worked!?" Ryūko wasn't going to let a half-assed answer like that fly by her.

She never did like it when someone tried to throw a fast one at her.

He paused in confusion as he realized he could not remember anything. Somehow Ryūko already knew his feelings before he voiced them.

" ** _I can explain the current phenomena that are occurring right now…but there much lost to me. Information I should know but it simply gone. Yes, I believe in your language its called memory. There are multiple gaps in mine…I do know one thing though."_**

Ryūko let his answer bounce around her head; it somehow made sense to her. She didn't know why but she had a gut feeling that he wasn't lying to her.

"What's the one thing you remember?"

He closed his only good eye as he thought hard. " ** _My creator, he had a beard, an eye patch, wore a white lab coat. I also remember that he had a rather bad hunch, favored sandals, held a cane in one hand, and had a rodent you would call a mouse on his shoulder."_**

She gasped out loud at his memory. How could she not? There was only one person in the world that she knew that fitted her description. It was her most beloved person in her life until he was taken from her.

His creator was her _dad_.

"That man…he was my dad." She whispered silently, a sense of triumph and sadness filled his body. He opened his eye out in alarm to see them landing softly on the floor.

He could tell she was trying her hardest to hold back her tears.

He knew they were tears of happiness instead of sadness.

" ** _Your dad was my creator?"_** He felt a new surge of protectiveness fill his fibers. To be the offspring of his creator and his partner...it made perfect sense to him that he was perfect for her.

In the first time in the last six months Ryūko Matoi smiled sincerely.

"Yeah, Isshin Matoi, he is my father." She paused as she looked him in the eye. She did not fail her father at all! Instead even in death he was still looking at for her. "I am Ryūko, his daughter."

A smirk blossomed on her lips. "I wonder why he made you…hey maybe with you I can actually beat those assholes!" She pumped an arm up.

"Let's get going Senketsu (鮮血)* we got some assholes to deal with!"

" ** _Senketsu?"_** He wondered…

"Yeah everyone needs a name even someone like you! Since it was my blood that woke you up, Senketsu will be your name! It's perfect because _Senketsu_ means _fresh blood_!"

Fresh blood? It fitted him to a T, if he wasn't in his transformed state the newly named Senketsu would have given off a simile that was legendary.

It was nice in having a name.

Ryūko leaned forwards as she grabbed a brown cloak that was in the pile next to her. With a flick of her wrist she covered her rather embarrassing state. It was now time to get some answers and this time she wasn't going to lose!

"Here I come Satsuki Kiryūin and this time you're going to answer my damn question!"

* * *

Ryūko was pissed. As soon as she reentered Honnō City to challenge that eyebrow witch, the city radio was broadcasting that Mako Mankanshoku and Iori Katsuki were to be executed for being friends with the "treasonous" transfer student.

They have only known each other for a day and this insane school is already trying to kill them! Were they really going to kill people just because she talked to them for little bit more than a second?

She remembered the poor sod that was hanging as a twisted Christmas ornament. Of course this insane school would kill someone for something as stupid as that. There wasn't even a single shed of doubt towards her next action.

It went against her being as Ryūko Matoi to let shit like this fly and not do anything about it.

She simply refused to let people die because of her. They were just innocent bystanders who tried to be friendly to the new student to their class. Hell, she clearly didn't want to be near them but Mako tried her hardest to talk to her, even Iori was trying to help her out before she decided, like an idiot, to charge at Satsuki Kiryūin.

She got them into this mess in the first place and she would be the ones who took them out of it.

The trip through the slums was much simpler due to Iori previous directions and the power of Senketsu. Her new cloak protected her from any wondering eyes and Senketsu was oddly quiet.

Ryūko chalked it up as sensory overload for the sailor uniform, she had a feeling her father didn't take him out of the basement at all.

She was at the gate of the school when she heard that damn midget of a boxer start to speak.

"Hey transfer student can you hear me? An hour from now your two friends' execution will be carried out as a result of your direct transom against Honnōji Academy and Lady Satsuki's will!"

She grind her teeth against each other in anger at the sight she saw when she entered the courtyard.

In the center of it was a huge boxing ring that had _chains_ instead of the standard ropes. Standing in the center of the ring was that midget; Fukuroda was his name if she remembered correctly. Standing right next to the boxer was a tall student dressed in a Three-Star uniform, he was rather plain looking. The most striking physical feature he processed was a crazy mane of green hair.

She noted that his uniform also spotted spiked shoulders, must be a fad or something.

The sight behind her was the reason for her current anger. There was two giant metal crosses, tied to both of them were Ryūko's acquaintances. They were both tided upside down on the x-shaped crosses their reactions were very different then what Ryūko was expecting.

Mako was throwing a fit at gravity itself. She tried her hardest to deny the perverts of her school a chance at seeing her underwear. Well that's what Ryūko was hopefully hearing, but due to her Senketsu enhanced hearing she was hearing Mako talking about "wearing sexy panties".

Ryūko had a feeling she was never really going to figure Mako out. She turned to see how Iori was handling the situation and snorted.

He was completely silent, his head covered completely by his cloak. To people who have never meet Iori Katsuki before they would probability think that he fainted from the sheer situation. However, even with knowing him for about half a day, Ryūko knew better.

The idiot was asleep.

Well at least she didn't have to worry about him freaking out when she tries save him.

As Ryūko moved in the crowd inching closer and closer until she bumped into someone. She almost lost her balance due to the new high heels she was wearing; thankfully she prevented herself from falling over.

It was then she noticed that little runt that tried to rob her earlier. Matarō was his name if she remembered correctly. His face was pale and his little gang was right behind him looking at the two hostages of Honnōji Academy.

It hit Ryūko that the kid was just about to see his big sister and a family friend get killed.

Like hell that was going to occur on her watch!

As Ryūko got into a crouch to use her Senketsu enhanced legs to jump over to the hostages, the green haired teen in front of her started to talk.

"Using a hostage is kind of cliché isn't it Fukuroda?"

"Well I don't have a choice but to be cliché. If I fail again my Goku Uniform would be confiscated. Since Katsuki and Mankanshoku are the only two people that the transfer student spoke too…I don't have any other options to bait the new girl in."

Ryūko glared at the little boxer in the middle of the ring. That was his whole reason in kidnapping Mako and Iori? Just so he wouldn't lose his uniform? What the hell was wrong with this school?

"You got some guts Fukuroda. Right, show me the power of your resolve!" Hearing the green haired man speak, Senketsu looked up at his wearer in confusion.

" ** _A man's resolve? How does using hostages even involve such a thing?"_**

"Only a coward's resolve Senketsu." She whispered back to him. Ryūko had enough of these two jerks talking about useless things; she had some people to save.

A pair of doors opening caught Ryūko's attention, she turned to see a vat of…boiling water?

Boiling water would only burn them badly not kill them, there has to be something more to this.

Then Ryūko saw a shrimp being fired by the midget.

"That's fucked up; they are going to fry them to death."

" ** _Ryūko do not worry with our power we can reach them in one jump."_** Ryūko smirked at her partner and prepaid herself to jump into the fray.

Well until the loudest snore in the existence of mankind destroyed the atmosphere behind the whole event.

"What was that?" The boxer whipped his head behind him to see…a snoring Iori Katsuki without care in the world.

"I can't believe it…he's asleep?" The taller teen in the ring question, it was unbelievable that this guy was sleeping through his own execution.

"Ehh! Iori wake up! We're going to get fried, fried like a crispy chicken! Wake up IORI!" Mako wailed at her cloaking wearing friend.

Another loud snore answered her reply.

" ** _Ryūko how can someone sleep through this?"_** The tomboy had no answer for her uniform, she didn't understand either.

"Iori if you don't wake up I'm going to tell dad that you want to donate blood again!" Like magic, Mako's words awake the pale boy.

His cloak flew off the black haired boy; he rapidly looked around his surrounding like death was upon him.

"No, you can't have my blood boss! I am pretty sure taking more than four pints is deadly!" The boy paused as he realized he wasn't at work. He was really confused why everything was upside down and why there was a crowd of students staring at him in amazement.

"That was dirty Mako, how could you do that to me?" He whined at his friend.

"Because we're going to be fried!"

"Fried? I thought classes were over for today? When did we get in enrolled into a cooking class?"

"No you idiot you're going to get executed for treason!" The boxer roared at Iori. He looked at him in confusion and then looked at Mako.

"Mako did you flood the second floor bathroom while looking for money again?"

"SHUT UP AND PAY ATTENTION!" The boxer threw a punch right into his face and Iori took it like it didn't even faze him.

"Meh, this is too much right now. I'm so tired from that late night reading assignment." The cloaked boy mumbled as he was about to enter sleep again.

"WHAT DID I SAY?" Another punch and this time it looked like it hurt. Let's say that Iori was now wide awake.

He was going to hate waking up with a black eye in the morning.

"Iori are you okay!" Mako cried out seeing her friend get brutally slugged in the face, a blood started to drip from a gash on his face.

"Bring that damn vat over! Screw waiting an hour for the transfer student; let's get this over already!" Fukuroda ordered his underlings carrying the vat to come closer to the two crosses.

" ** _Ryūko I think it's time we jump in."_** Senketsu told her, he was dumbfounded by Mako and Iori. They seem nice but they also seem to be…different.

Yes, different is the perfect word to describe them.

"Already on it Senketsu!" With that said, Ryūko soared into the sky, her cloak flying in the wind and making her seem like a fabled warrior rushing in to save the day.

She landed right on the top of Mako's cross. The brown haired girl looking at her in amazement and shock, Mako was not expecting her new bestie to save her.

In fact Mako thought her early efforts at being friendly failed her again in the friend making department.

"Ryūko!" Mako squealed out.

"Hang on Mako!" Ryūko roared as she spun around and used her sword to reflect the upcoming boxing club members. The poor souls were thrown into the boiling vat of oil and their screams started to fill the air.

Ryūko grabbing Mako's hand, Ryūko swung her scissor blade downwards and easily slicing through the metal bindings that were holding Mako upside down. Turning towards Iori, she gave him a nod.

Ryūko saw his strength from earlier and she knew that he could break out by himself. However, Iori probability wouldn't be able to get to Mako fast enough after freeing himself.

Iori smiled and nodded back, the bindings holding him down started to groan under pressure before they popped off the metal cross and nailed a couple of students in the head.

"Sorry! It seems that my bindings are faulty. If you want we can try to arrange this for another day?"

"Faulty? I saw you popped them off somehow!" The green haired shouted as he pointed at Iori.

Ryūko snickered at the sight; maybe the wimp wasn't so bad after all?

Iori pointed to himself in confusion. "Me? I am sorry Sanageyama but I think you are mistaken." He then jumped down from the cross and onto the ground. A couple of One-Stars tried to tackle him down but Iori used his cloak to confuse them and slam those students forwards into the crowd.

He then turned towards Ryūko opening his arms to catch someone.

With a chuckle from Ryūko and a happy squeal from Mako as she flew into the air, found herself safely in Iori's arms.

"Thanks again Ryūko!" Iori said towards the tomboy.

"I couldn't leave a wimp like you to save the day." Ryūko smirked at the cloaked boy, he simply smiled back.

Ryūko escorted them through the crowd, with a wave of his hand, Sanageyama called off the advancing One-Star minions.

This was a manner assigned to the Boxing Club Captain Fukuroda and it was his responsibility to punish the transfer student and her friends.

That what Lady Satsuki decreed and Sanageyama would follow it to the letter.

"Sis you're alright!" Matarō cried out as Ryūko and the gang securely made their way into the No-Star crowd. Normally the No-Star students of Honnōji Academy would keep a low profile and never bother to help out a fellow No-Star in hot water.

However, not even Gamagoori would bother punishing half of the No-Star population for a crime that was not really that noteworthy.

"Matarō? Mister why are you here and not at home?" Mako scolded her younger brother, she wonder if he came to tried to save her from the fate she almost received.

A warm feeling started to flow though-out Mako, her little brother actually cared about her!

"Well…" He nervously trailed off; Matarō actually came to this so called "execution" to see the poor suckers that were going to bite it. It wasn't like he was going to rob their corpse or something.

Iori saved him from any retribution from his sister.

"Mako remember when I told you to call your dad for some medical supplies?"

She nodded her head. "Ah daddy sent Matarō with the medical stuff to fix Ryūko up?"

"Fix me up?" The tomboy question, Mako turned to her to face her. As Mako was about to go onto a speech, Matarō sneaked in a fist bump with Iori for saving him from his sister wraith.

"Yep! Iori works for my dad's clinic so he knows some medical stuff! We saw how the mean boxer guy beat you up pretty badly Ryūko! We're going to look for you after school ended to make sure you were alright! But, it seems that Ryūko instead came to save us from becoming KFC!"

" ** _Ryūko, these two are kind people…we should stay near them."_** Ryūko's partner whispered to her. Senketsu was happy to know that his creator daughter had someone to look after her, even if it was people she actually met for the first time today.

"You're right Senketsu" Ryūko fired back softly.

"Senketsu?" Iori wondered out loud, causing the little assembly around them to turn to him in confusion.

Ryūko started to twitch her eyebrow nervously; she wasn't expecting anyone to hear that.

How was she post to explain to them that she was wearing a stripperiffic talking sailor uniform that gave her super powers?

Just thinking about it made her sound like she belong to a nutter's house!

"So transfer student you decided to face me again."

Ryūko didn't show it but she was glad that the boxer midget saved her from explaining anything.

She was still going to knock some teeth out of his mouth though for earlier.

"Using hostages is playing dirty, but I guess scumbags like you wouldn't care about that." The Hot-Blooded Devil fired back. To her satisfaction it seemed to enrage the boxer.

Good, the madder he got, the sloppier his fighting skills would be in the upcoming fight.

Ryūko didn't want to just beat him; no she wanted to humiliate him in front of this crowd. This asshat was the reason why she didn't get a chance to beat the answers out of Satsuki Kiryūin earlier. He also tried to kill Mako and Iori.

She would make him regret getting in her way.

"You bitch! Come in here so I can show you what it means fight a boxer!"

"Sure, I just kick your ass in your own home turf in front of the whole school."

She glanced behind her, to her surprise she saw Iori holding an ice bag to Mako's wrist. It seem like he was trying ease the bruises on Mako's wrist before they became notable.

It looked like he did know some medical stuff.

"You guys are going to be alright here?" Ryūko asked, the last thing she wanted was them getting in trouble when she was beating the snot out of the midget boxer.

"Ryūko go beat him! Show him whose boss!" Mako cheerfully started to throw punches, Iori somehow managed to keep the ice bag on Mako's wrist during her speech.

"Please be careful Ryūko and don't hurt him too bad." She rolled her eyes at hearing Iori's so called words of encouragement

He was such a _wimp_.

"You got it _dumbass!"_ Ryūko mockingly retorted. Mako jumped up in excitement and said.

"Don't worry Ryūko if you get beat up again, Iori will fix you right up!" Ryūko sighed in annoyance at Mako statement and Iori giving her a thumb up in agreement.

Well at least these people were willing to put up with her.

"Well transfer student getting cold feet?" The midget taunted her, that's right there was person that ass need to be kicked.

"Hold on you bastard, no need to hasten me kicking your ass all over the place."

" ** _You ready for our first fight Ryūko?"_**

She didn't respond to Senketsu as she entered the ring. Ryūko knew that no way in hell was she going to lose against a punk like him.

She stepped into the ring without a hassle.

Fukuroda entered into boxing stance, he was going to beat the transfer student again and this time makes her pay in front of all her friends.

"So you finally entered the ring transfer student, it's good to know that you aren't a coward." He sneered at her, his giant iron boxing glove ready to deal the first blood to Ryūko. He was going to pay her back for the cut she sneaked in their first bout.

"I never run from a fight and you decided to miss with people I know. It sucks but I have no choice but to kick your ass now." Ryūko made sure that the traveling cloak was fasten on her correctly, she didn't want the crowd to see her new state of dress because of Senketsu.

Senketsu simply frown at that thought, it looked like he was going to need to drink more blood than he wanted in this bout.

"Well see about that transfer student! GET READY!"

A boxing bell rang out in the courtyard as a buxom blond started to walk into the ring carrying a sign that read "Round 1" on it.

It seems they were at least trying to make this match feel like a boxing match.

"I'm going to haze you transfer student!" Fukuroda yelled as he launched a blazing left jab towards Ryūko, it smashed the poor blond girl out of the ring and into the air somewhere.

Ryūko just took it in the face and just looked at him. This was the person who beat her earlier? His punches right now were light as a feather and lacked the bone-shattering strength from before.

Fukuroda seeing that his left jab did absolutely nothing, decided to up the ante.

Hundreds of left jabs flooded the ring and still Ryūko refused to budge.

"This midget actually beat me? Was I really that weak before you Senketsu?" She decided to risk talking to him, since her hood covered her face and no one could hear her talking to him due to the noise the jab barrage was unleashing.

" ** _You weren't weak Ryūko, you are merely human. However, with me you have transcended the limit of human capability."_** Senketsu told her, he could feel that his human was thinking back to the basement ceiling she crashed into earlier.

It was the truth he gave her power that no mere person could best by themselves especially, a punk that was wearing such a tacky and flimsy excuse of a uniform.

"I see Senketsu…how strong are you?"

" ** _I don't know Ryūko."_** He could not answer her question due to the gasp in his memories. It frustrated him that he could not help her out.

"We it's something we'll find out later then." She simply stated, her father made him and she wanted to catch his killer. By finding more about Senketsu, there was a chance that she would learn more about her dad.

She might even find the reason why he was killed.

Seeing that his barrage of jabs were of no effect angered the height challenged boxer. He had used the same maneuvers countless times before hand and most people couldn't stand after a couple of second.

How was the transfer student even standing still?

"DAMN IT! WHY AREN'T YOU FLINCHING?"

"It's because you're a poor excuse of a boxer."

"THAT'S IT! I SEND YOU BACK HOME IN A CASKET!" Fukuroda pulled back his right fist for a corkscrew punch. Unlike a normal punch, his Goku uniform transformed the punch into a deadly drill that could pierce through multiple layers of steel.

Too bad for the boxer that his opponent, Ryūko Matoi, was wearing an outfit that would have been perfect on a _god_ and no mortal weapon would be able to scratch such a garb.

Ryūko lazily place her blade into a guard position to block the upcoming drill. Normally she would have gotten the heck out of dodge when she saw that drill coming straight at her. But now with Senketsu on her?

She didn't even need to move an inch, the guard position she used was for assurance than anything else.

Her prediction was right as the "corkscrew" ripped the cloak she was wearing to shreds. Her arms barely even moved from the blow, it was like she was blocking a punch from a two year old instead of a boxer with special powered clothes.

The downside was that Senketsu was available for the world to see.

A fiery blush spread across the tomboy face as she started to hear the reaction of the crowd. The wolf whistles and the yelling of the male population and some of the female students caused Ryūko grit her teeth in anger.

Freaking perverted teenagers! She was going to kick all their asses later for this!

"W-What the heck is this? Is that even an outfit?" Fukuroda asked. His face burning red at the outfit the transfer student was wearing, he did his best not staring at Ryūko's chest.

Ryūko was not pleased at all by his gaze.

"STOP GAWKING YOU PERVERT!"

"GAWKING? YOU'RE THE ONE TRYING TO DISTRACT ME WITH YOUR SEXINESS!"

The tomboy used her new power to throw the boxer to the other side of the ring. Fukuroda was not expecting this and hit the other side hard.

Ryūko snorted at the sight of Fukuroda on the ground, this was going to be an easy fight.

"I'm not wearing this because I _want_ to!" Ryūko explained to her opponent. Her fist clenched as she heard people yelling in the crowd that she was an exhibitionist and she should be proud of her 'smoking hot body'.

"Holy cow! Ryūko is sexy! What do you think Iori?" Mako probed as she faced her only friend till today. Hey if Ryūko caught his fancy it was her duty as a friend to hook them up! She could see herself now! Mako the ultimate matchmaker!

The sight she saw was something that disturbed and worried her. She was not expecting him to be even paler then normally or the horrified expression that was etched on his face. Mako reached out and calmly patted Iori on the shoulder. However, her touch didn't do anything to snap him out of his funk. She could barely hear what he was saying over the crowd but what she did hear surprised her.

"…Kamui…how is she even alive…no it can't be." Was all she was able to decipher from his mumbling about Ryūko's new look.

"Iori are you okay?" This time Mako shook him frantically and to her relief he seemed to return back to reality.

"Y-Yeah…I'm alright. Just surprised by Ryūko's…uh choice of outfit." He looked everywhere but the ring where Ryūko was now complaining about Fukuoka's gloves true state. Iori personally think that those so called gloves shouldn't even be considered to be gloves in the first place.

He did wonder why they have so many spikes on them.

"Ah uh and why are you not looking at Ryūko's fight now?"

"Because I respect her?" The questioning tone did little to discourage Mako. After all she could smell the blood in the water!

Mako looked him in the eye closely. "Really?" Iori started too wiggly underneath her stare, sometimes Mako really gave him the creeps.

"Mako please stop you're too close to me." The cloak boy pleaded at his odd friend, she was getting to close to comfort.

Mako just kept staring at him.

He really needed a distraction and from the corner of his eyes he saw Matarō staring at Ryūko's backside in a disapproving manor. Iori simply raised his free hand, as he was still icing up Mako's bruises, and pointed at the perverted boy.

Mako followed his finger curious at what he was pointing at.

The next second a very familiar scream filled the air and Ryūko wondered what did that runt do now to annoy Mako.

"Hey transfer student are you even listening to me?" Fukuroda asked as he finished explaining the power of his Two-Star Goku Uniform.

Ryūko yawned in response; she started to tune him out as soon as he started yapping his mouth again. Normally she would take the chance and give him a good whack…but she didn't just want to beat him. No, she wanted to humiliate him for earlier.

No one gets in her way in her search for the truth.

Fukuroda roared a wordless scream as he charged in once more, another drill forming in his right fist. This time Ryūko moved her scissor blade away from the body and took the hit head on.

The glove slammed into her with a lethal force; however Senketsu was something more than a ratty Goku Uniform.

The drill shattered due to Senketsu sheer amount of power.

"The Hell?!"

"Well it looks like those gloves aren't really made out of iron after all." Ryūko smirked as she flipped her blade over. She was going to pummel him into the ground with her scissor blade handle; she didn't want to kill anyone but that bitch who did her father in.

"Wow I didn't know you could box Ryūko!" Mako exclaimed as she held Matarō in another choke hold.

"Ah Mako I don't' think Ryūko knows how to box." Iori explained to his overly excited friend.

"Are you sure Iori?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure standing still isn't a normal boxing skill." He shifted his vision onto the ring and glanced at Ryūko's outfit. Mako caught his glance and she could see no desire in his eyes. Instead it seemed like he was analyzing it in a manner that was academic.

Mako would grill him for answers later, well if he doesn't clam up like he normally does.

Ryūko was annoyed, after seeing that his glove shatter the midget she was fighting went berserk. He started to throw out punches like candy during Halloween. She would sweat this out a little longer but the crowd of perverts was really frying her nerves.

She took a step forward and swung the handle of her blade.

"Left jab!"

The blow connected and dented the boxer's helmet greatly. Fukuroda was dazed admittedly and lost his footing. Seeing this Ryūko continued her combo on the vertically challenged man.

"Right hook!"

Twirling her scissor by the handle, Ryūko brought it down into Fukuroda's ribs with the flat side of her blade. Blood was gushed out of the boxer mouth turning the once white ring red.

"Let's not forget the uppercut!"

Flipping her scissor in the air, Ryūko caught it on the flat side of her blade and thrust her weapon of choice upwards. The hilt slamming into Fukuroda's chin and sending the boxer flying.

He hit the ground with force, teeth and blood spraying the area where he landed.

"Oh we're not done yet! Here is a right straight to finish you off!"

Ryūko dashed forwards to finish off her foe, her father legacy trailing behind her in a dangerous glint. She swung the flat side of her blade into Fukuroda, forcing the boxer once more in the air. She jumped after him and swung down hard, this time with the sharp end of her scissor blade.

The Goku uniform of his stood no chance and was shredded by her blow. The boxer flew higher in the air as Ryūko landed on the ground in triumph.

"SENI-SOSHITSU!" (腺衣喪失*)

She roared out towards the heaven the name of her finishing move. After all the clothes of her enemy gave him super powers, wouldn't make sense to name her final move after "striping" then?

Unnoticed by Ryūko, a single red string from the now destroyed Two-Star Boxer uniform seemed to be sucked into the vent on the back of her outfit.

Senketsu hummed pleasantly as he felt stronger for absorbing the fiber of the destroyed uniform. He had no idea why but his strength felt like it increases by at least ten percent.

This was something he had to tell Ryūko later and something they both should look into.

As the boxer in his birthday suit started to descend, Ryūko smirked at what she saw. On the top of Honnōji were Satsuki Kiryūin and that blond Yankee guy from earlier. They were not alone as two people stood near them, a blue haired shut-in and a pink troll stood beside them.

So this was the student council of this crazy school?

She had an idea that would piss of that caterpillar eyebrow freak.

"Now to finish you off!"

Ryūko turned on her heel and raced towards the defeated boxer, nailing her scissor into his chest and flinging him towards the obnoxious tower that crown Honnōji Academy. The boxer flew upwards towards the student council president like a naked shooting star.

As the "shooting star" streak towards his target, a wall of One Star formed around their lady, blood gushed out from the crushed students and the efforts of Satsuki's minions were for naught.

A stray droplet passed through the living shield and splashed Satsuki Kiryūin cheek.

Satsuki brought a thumb to wipe the blood away; her eagle-like gaze zoomed in on the tomboy rebel.

Maybe Ryūko Matoi would prove to be interesting after all.

Sanageyama gasped at the sheer audacity of the transfer student. How dare she spill unclean blood on Lady Satsuki!

With this thought in mind Sanageyama started to enter the stained boxing ring to teach that bitch a lesson in manners.

He was stopped by the most unlikely of source.

"Enough."

The entire school population looked up to its king to lesson to her words.

Satsuki Kiryūin looked down on Ryūko Matoi and asked. "Transfer student, where did you get your hands on that outfit?"

It wasn't a question, it was a demand.

Ryūko stomped the ground and a microphone flew into her hand. As she put the microphone to her mouth she tried to focus.

Her rage was threatening to overwhelm her.

"This is the last keepsake of my father."

Narrowed blue eyes meet enraged blue eyes as the student president and the transfer student glared at each other.

"What?"

"And this scissor blade is the very weapon left behind by that _bitch_ that killed him.

Rising the blood red scissor blade over her head, Ryūko continued her speech.

"Then again you already know that don't you Satsuki Kiryūin…after all you're the ** _bitch_** that killed him!"

"That might be the case…but why do you care Ryūko Matoi? Unless your father happens to be the late Isshin Matoi?"

The student council president rebuttal enraged Ryūko even more, steam started to erupt from her noise and her eyes practically wishing bloody murder upon the caterpillar brow freak.

"I was right! You are his killer! Why did you _kill_ my dad?" She roared at Satsuki Kiryūin. It was then Ryūko felt the temperature of her own body. It was unbearably hot as large droplet of sweat started to fall from her arms. She weakly felt her legs starting to lose the battle against gravity.

Why was she so freaking exhausted?

" ** _You're bleeding too much Ryūko; I suggest we head back for the day."_** Senketsu informed her. His human was in danger of fainting from blood lost and he would rather fall apart then let her die from his hunger.

It would really help if his human would fully open herself to him, this wouldn't' be a problem.

"Really Senketsu? I thought you wanted it, what's the problem is it too much for you?" She growled out. She struggle to stand but lost that fight. Thinking quickly she stabbed her blade downwards. A blast of steam smacked her right in her face, luckily she already leaning on her blade.

It was the only thing that prevented her from falling on her face.

" ** _No, that is not the issue here. Instead you are running out of blood. I estimate you have five minutes worth before you faint and lose consciousness from blood lost."_**

"Damn it Senketsu! Why didn't you say that before?!"

Ryūko grunted as she stood up, she really could feel her strength leaving her. She pointed her father's legacy at the school dictator.

"We'll pick this up later Satsuki Kiryūin! Next time I'll beat the answers out of you!" With that said Ryūko dropped the microphone and jumped out of the ring.

She dashed towards the entrance and within a couple of seconds she was already out of the academy.

She could have sworn that she heard her number one enemy said something, but she was too focused on finding a safe place to faint in.

Ryūko spotted an empty cable car and jumped into it. Thankfully it was a windowless one and she didn't have to smash throw one. Her body was too battered to suffer the strain of such an action.

"Where is the damn button that starts this?" Ryūko groaned in pain, her finger pressing every single bottom on the console. Eventually she heard the car groan as it started to move downhill. It was then that Senketsu started to talk again to his human; his tone was filled for worry for the drifter.

" ** _Ryūko are you okay?"_**

That is when her vision started to fade in and out.

" ** _Ryūko don't close your eyes! You're losing way too much blood!"_**

Was that Senketsu? She could barely hear what he was saying.

" ** _Ryūko you have to wear me properly! Open yourself to me! Ryūko DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!"_**

Why was everything getting so dark?

" ** _Why aren't you answering me Ryūko? I know you can hear me!"_**

The cable car stopped and opened its door, the evening winds of Honnō City felt extremely chilly to the tomboy. Even her sense of touch was starting to fade.

" ** _Ryūko? No! You're going into shock! Someone one help us! Ryūko stay with me! Stay in the car and don't go outside!"_**

She stumbled out and fell face first into the ground. She weakly turned her head to see the shape of someone heading towards her.

" ** _Oh Fiber! Stay with me Ryūko! No, don't close your eyes! Please don't close your eyes!"_**

Why did the shape seem familiar to her and was it coming closer to her?

" ** _Wait isn't that the cloak boy? Hey you help us! Ryūko has gone into shock! She desperately needs blood now!"_**

She could tell that the figure was smiling and the last thing she saw before the darkness overwhelm her.

* * *

"I see the Kamui took way to much blood from her…luckily she has type AB. If she wasn't a universal receiver we might have some issues with her."

Hearing a familiar male voice stirred Ryūko from the darkness. Not noticing that she was waking up the voice continued.

"It was scary to see a god robe in action, I honestly wasn't expecting…'Senketsu' yes that's his name I believe, rip through a Two-Star uniform like it was papier-mâché. In fact I am surprise that Ryūko was even alive by the time she got back on school grounds."

She heard a desk starting to crack.

"You couldn't tell me about it? You're playing a dangerous game with me…you know how Mako already befriended her and I see her in a similar light. 'For my own good' you say? Remember our _agreement_ …"

Light started to return to her vision and she weakly turned her head towards the voice.

Red filled her vision as she continued to stare she realize that the redness was a cloak.

Why was Iori Katsuki doing here?

"Ah it seems like Ryūko is back in the land of the living. We'll finish this conversation later then. Take care my friend." Iori hung up and closed an ancient red (of course it was that color) flip phone.

Ryūko was honestly surprised that people still used those rocks.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was raspy, she really need something to drink. Iori walked closer to her and to her relief he was already carrying a cup of water.

"Well someone had to fix you up Ryūko and luckily for you I work at the best clinic in town." He chuckled softly as she chugged the water down. The coldness of the water seemed to do a miracle for her and she could feel her throat getting better.

Ryūko closed her eyes in thought, she vaguely remembered Mako talking about having Iori working at her family clinic.

"Mako's dad your boss right?"

"Yep he's my boss…" Iori nervously trialed off, he started to rub his neck as he thought something to say.

His silence for some reason unnerved Ryūko.

"And he's a good doctor?" Iori finished off his earlier statement.

"Is that a question?"

"…maybe?"

Ryūko just plainly stared at the pale boy in front of her. His answers filled her with dread and frankly scared her a bit. But hey at least she wasn't dead or at the hospital.

As she scanned the little room she found herself in, she recognized it was your typical room you would find in any clinic. However you can say that this room was very poor looking version. It is located in the slums after all.

"If you are wondering we are in the slums and don't worry about any payment. A friend of Mako's is a friend here."

Hearing that little tad bit made her smile a bit. It seemed she was right in saving Mako and Iori from those crazy people.

Wait a minute!

"Is that Senketsu hanging on the wall over there!?" She jumped up and pointed at a very familiar uniform that was heavily bandaged. She didn't notice the thin cotton blanket that was covering her falling towards the ground.

Iori turned towards the direction and behold was a black and red Kamui.

"That is correct, there is your sailor uniform…I found it strange that you named it honestly."

"Uniform?" It was then the conversation she overheard earlier ran though her mind.

"You called him a Kamui! What the hell does that mean?!" She demand, but for some reason Iori continued to stare at Senketsu. It was then that Ryūko felt really cold.

She looked down.

"WHY AM I NAKED?!" She threw a punch at Iori, which he calmly caught without looking at her.

"I was doing my job?" That answer only pissed her off more.

"YOU'RE JOB? MY ASS! YOU STRIPPED ME OF MY CLOTHES!" She was about to bring her other fist around to finish the job of the first one. But what Iori said next stopped her assault in her tracks.

"Ah I see…you haven't noticed yet. Look at your body closely Ryūko"

Deciding to humor the pervert she looked down.

To her surprise her body was heavily bandage on her arms, legs, and stomach.

"I had to strip you of your uniform to fully heal you of your wounds. I am sorry but I had to do my job, I hope you understand. "He bowed towards her. Iori didn't want his new friend to think that he was a typical teenager boy. He had standards gosh darn it!

Ryūko started to blush in embarrassment at the apology. Did she really think that the wimp would actually be that daring to do pervy things to her?

Today was really getting to her.

"…Thanks _dumbass_." She muttered shyly.

Iori smiled brightly.

"Well the Mankanshoku family is about have dinner, I'll leave so you can get dress. Just walk down the hallway and turn left that's where the dining room is."

She huffed. "I can find my place around a house asshole."

That damn chuckle of his returned in force.

"I just wanted to make sure you don't get lost again." His chuckle died out and his smile dropped.

"Meet me on the roof top later if you have questions. I can't say much but I can at least give you a head start on everything."

He walked out of the room.

A head start you say?

"What do you know…Iori Katsuki?"

* * *

Ryūko was in shock at meeting the rest of the Mankanshoku family. Mr. Mankanshoku and his son Matarō were compete perverts but they didn't seem too bad. It was nice to know that Mr. Mankanshoku confirmed Iori's story about stripping her to heal her and she learnt that he was the one that carried her back here.

It did scare her that Barazō (Mr. Mankanshoku first name) killed more people then he saved. It brought her no comfort when he told her happily that 'the dead ones don't sue'. It terrified Ryūko even more when his wife Sukuyo (Mako's mom) said that she was proud that her 'hubby was the best doctor in the slums'.

How bad where the other doctors? Ryūko swore that she would never find out. At least with the Mankanshoku she had an actually chance of not dying before she brought Satsuki Kiryūin to justice.

At least those mystery croquettes were tasty, she wasn't expecting it to be that good. In fact she was shocked that it was sitting well with her stomach!

It wasn't like she had a weak stomach or anything, but she saw _worms_ in her food. Well the food she ate before the family dog, Guts, devoured more than half her plate.

She did thank Mako for saving the rest of her food.

Ryūko sighed as she walked outside the little family home and started to climb to the roof. She found it odd when the Mankanshoku told her that Iori prefer to eat outside during the time the moon was out. When she asked why he did that and why they weren't offended by that. Barazō answered her.

"Iori is my hardest worker and a family friend, we all have our quirks and his quirk is that he likes to eat outside in the moonlight. I mean I hear from him that you named your uniform Senketsu."

Ryūko blushed at the answer and quickly excused herself from the table. That when she found herself outside.

"So you came after all Ryūko, did you enjoy your dinner with the Mankanshoku?" The cloaked boy asked her. His hood was up and his head was tilted so he could look at the full moon over Honnō City.

Well it looks like that Iori wanted to make some small talk before they got serious, she could work with that.

"Yeah I did…it was weird but nice at the same time. They even offered me a place to stay for the time being."

"Really? That's great to hear Ryūko! I am happy that you are fitting in. I-"

Ryūko cut him off before he could distract her any longer.

"Cut the crap Iori, tell me everything you know about Senketsu and my father!"

The boy sighed.

"I don't know anything about your father really other than he created your Kamui."

That was a good start.

"Fine, what's a Kamui then?"

Iori turned around to face Ryūko. His black eyes regarded her tiredly.

"What is a Kamui? Well…the best way to describe it is by its name, Kamui, or in English god robe." He pointed towards the now sleeping Senketsu. "A Kamui is an outfit of incredible power that grants a human being the ability to fight even the gods. It increases all physical capabilities and grants the wearer of the garments amazing durability that no regular material could pierce." Iori looked at Ryūko curiously.

"Well that was all in theory until today."

"Theory?" That puzzled Ryūko. She had no problem with Senketsu other than him drinking too much of her freaking blood.

"I bet you figured it out already Ryūko but Kamui cannot be worn by regular people. I mean I am surprised that you only fainted because of blood lost. In most cases…" Iori shook his head negatively, his cloak moving softly in the night's wind.

"No, I said too much already. Just remember to activate you Kamui you have to use your life's blessing to active it."

"…That's it?"

Iori tilted his head in confusion. Was his answer not clear enough for her? Was there something else he should explain?

"Yes that all I have for you."

The glare that was aimed at the hooded boy surprised him. He didn't know it but his answer pissed her off! He didn't answer anything of importance and it was obvious he knew more than he let on!

"Bullshit! I can tell you know more than you're telling me."

"True."

"Then tell me everything!"

"No, I will not."

Ryūko reached towards her back and slowly pulled out her scissor blade. If he wasn't going to volunteer his knowledge then she was going to force him.

"Oh really now? Why the hell not?"

"Because I have only known you for the last ten hours or so, how do I know I should trust you in the first place?"

A sword was brought towards his throat.

"Trust? You think I give a rat's ass about such a thing?"

The glare that Ryūko was giving off would cause most men to piss their pants. She wasn't letting this prime source of information get away from her. It took her six months to learn who killed her dad and now this punk in front of her holds information that was missing to her father's last keepsake.

She wasn't going to let him get away.

"Really now…you're going to threaten me for information now? Even after I healed your wounds and carried you here?"

"Don't think I own you anything asshole. You have information that I need and you are going to give to me or else." She jabbed the blade even closer to his throat. Why wouldn't this jerk just spill the beans already?

Iori closed his eyes in thought. Was her intimidate finally going work now?

"If I don't' give you information, what will you do?"

Ryūko gave him the devil's smirk. "I'll do anything to make you squeal like a pig and tell me what I want to know."

"…Are you willing to hurt my _family?_ Would you think about raising a hand against the Mankanshoku family even after they fed you and offer you a place to stay?"

Wait what?

Those questions that Iori asked snapped Ryūko out of train of thought. Why would he think that she'll harm Mako? Mako has done nothing to her and in fact she was growing kind of fond of the quirky girl.

Did he really think that she would hurt innocents on her quest for retribution? Wasn't her actions earlier today enough proof that she wouldn't let injustice to people she knew get away.

It was his fault that there were even in his position in the first place. He was keeping information from her that could help learn more about her father!

Why wouldn't he just tell her already?

Her pause seemed to change the atmosphere between the two.

Cold black eyes regarded her like scum as Iori moved his right hand out.

He was too fast for her.

Blood started to drip from his hand as he held firmly to the scissor blade that Ryūko held at his throat. Something was wrong; Ryūko would have sworn that this tactic should have worked against any old wimp.

It had in the past so why was now so very different?

Too bad for Ryūko Matoi, Iori Katsuki had _steel_ in him.

He would rather die than allow anyone hurt the people he cared for.

"If you ever try to hurt the Mankanshoku family…" Iori face started to slowly shift into a smile that was not naturally to any human being. Ryūko took a step back as she felt a source of _hunger_ invade her senses, this hunger for bloodshed started to radiate off the pale boy in front of her.

This was a fight that Ryūko knew she couldn't win. She also had a gut feeling that she wouldn't escape with her life if it came down to it.

Was this really the same boy the healed her today from Senketsu splurge on her blood?

"I'll kill you, okay?" The cheerful childish tone of the threat chilled Ryūko to the core, even Senketsu in his slumber shivered in freight.

She was not a person anymore to Iori; no she was something else…

She was prey.

Ryūko nervously exhaled, her father's legacy pointed to the ground. She had no fiery comeback aimed at the pale boy. How could she towards his threat, no promise of retribution if she dared harm the Mankanshokus.

She opened her mouth to shakily say something. Iori inhuman smile disappeared and that choking presence surrounding the boy disparate into the air.

"I hope you understand why I want to defend my family even if I have to do something … _unpleasant_." He offered his left hand towards the tomboy.

"I really think we can become really good friends, hopefully even best friends…but I can't let someone with a Kamui near my family thinking they could do whatever they want. I really hope you understand where I coming from Ryūko. "His eyes were radiating sadness and the need for forgiveness for the promise he just issued to her.

Ryūko simply grabbed the hand and gave Iori a firm handshake. "I understand how you want to protect your family, hell if my dad was still alive I would have done something similar."

She paused in thought as she looked away from him, she understand why he got protective of his surrogate family and it was her brash actions that caused this whole scenario in the first place.

"You know I would never harm Mako and her family…" Ryūko trailed off, unsure how to continue. Iori simply gave her a nod that was saying 'It's alright I understand'.

Ryūko breathed a sigh of relief and then looked the boy straight in the eyes. She then gave him a toothy smirk.

"Normally I would punch a tooth out for you threaten me in such a way…But I let it slide this time dumbass, but you wouldn't be so lucky next time."

"I'm alright with that Ryūko." Iori smiled nervously as he offered his hand towards her.

"Friends?" He asked her.

"What the hell, sure why not." Ryūko chuckled at Iori as she gave his hand a firm handshake. He may be a wimp but damn did he have his triggers. He was something that definitely could help her quest in bring justice to her dad.

Hell, he might even be a good friend to her.

Didn't mean that she couldn't dig into his past some more, after all he knew what Senketsu was and was obvious hiding more secrets in the closet then she can guess.

But hell don't friends tell each other secret all the time and best friends?

They never hide anything from each other.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_**

 ** _* Senketsu in Japanese literally means "Fresh Blood" and I find that kind of interesting. Since Ryūko is a new transfer student at the academy you could say that she is also "Fresh Blood" at the school. I wonder if she actually named Senketsu due to his need for blood or due to her status as the new girl. I have a feeling that's it's both._**

 ** _* SENI-SOSHITSU! (_** ** _腺衣喪失): Right this is Ryūko "finishing move" and it has a very symbolic meaning to it. The Kanji for Seni-Soshitsu (_** ** _腺衣喪失) can be read as "Thread Shipper". However, a proper meaning would actually be "Stripped of the Will to Fight". Clothing in Kill La Kill is extremely important and most of the fights Ryūko finds herself in are due to the Two-Star Captains attacking her. The Two-Star students are under the illusion that they are invincible in their Goku Uniforms, however in reality they are the ones who are "hiding" behind their outfits. Thus, once Ryūko beats them; she in a way is "freeing" them from the illusion. Which I think is a good think considering what the Goku Uniforms are made out of..._**

 ** _Thank you all for reading this chapter and I really hope you enjoyed my take on Ryūko so far. She's a character that can be viewed very differently and it's just fun writing for such a character. I know I change some scenes around but I really wanted to try something new and add scenes that weren't in the show into my story. Plus, I enjoyed writing the scenes between Iori and Ryūko. Remember if you have any questions, just send me a PM! I would love to talk to some of my readers!_**

 ** _Next Chapter:" A Regular No-Star": Odd Circumstances_**

 ** _Have a nice day!_**


	4. A Regular No-Star: Odd Circumstances

_**Author's Note**_

 _ **Welcome to the fourth chapter of "Never Losing the Way"!**_

 _ **This chapter was fun to write and it allowed me to develop Iori more as a character! I really hope that you enjoy this chapter and thank you again for reading my story.**_

 _ **Shout out to** **GirthJohnson for previewing this chapter and for being an awesome friend! You are awesome!**_

 ** _Remember I do not own Kill La Kill (I do own Iori Katsuki so, no stealing!) and I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

* * *

Iori Katsuki stepped out from the shadows with a sigh. He really thought that Ryūko got the hint last night about her blood being the key.

It seemed that being mysterious and vague really only work in the realms of fiction.

It was still embarrassing to watch Ryūko talking to the asleep Senketsu and then getting slaughtered by the tennis club president, Omiko Hakodate. At least Hakodate forget to actually chase down the defeated delinquent for her Kamui.

Losing Senketsu at this stage would have spelled certain doom for his friend's quest. His backers would also not be pleased with the Kiryūin getting their blood stained hands on another Kamui.

Taking out his red flip phone, Iori quickly sent out a text to Mr. Mikisugi. The message was about how he was 'sick' and wouldn't be to come in for class today. He didn't have to worry about contacting his boss because he had today and tomorrow off.

It was time to retrieve his friend before the minions of the discipline committee do.

Making sure he wasn't seen the red cloak boy started to walk towards the location of his missing friends.

He was pretty sure he saw them fall into fountain waterline instead of the sewer one.

It was also the least guarded of the two.

"Poor Senketsu and Ryūko they might catch a cold because of this." He mumbled to himself, Kamui were god robes but it didn't mean that their fibers couldn't get wrinkled and Ryūko is human so there was a chance that she might catch a cold.

As he got closer to the fountain pipe, he could have sworn seeing a flash of red.

It was Ryūko Matoi, his rather aggressive new friend. It seemed that she was unconscious and in no danger of drowning. He did wonder how she landed on the guitar case at the right angle. But hey at least he doesn't have worry about performing CPR on her.

The last thing he wanted was to get punched in the eye by his friend thinking that he was trying to make the moves on her or something.

It was lucky that the duo was launched into the fountain pipeline instead of the actually sewer pipeline.

That would have sucked for everyone one involved. Iori wasn't a vain man at heart but the one thing he tried to do was make sure he never had an actually body odor that smelled. It was hard for him to smell in the first place do to his health condition but the smells that do manage to stick on him linger for a bit.

He didn't want Mako or Ryūko suffer though that.

Well maybe Ryūko for a little bit. He was still a little bit muffed about what happen last night.

Then again he did kind of scare the bejeezus out of her.

It wasn't his fault though! He might have just reaction overboard…just a _tad_ bit.

It probability why Mako was glaring at him in the morning, it wouldn't be the first time that he pushed the wrong button in regards to her. They were pretty good friends truthfully, but it seemed that they had the ability to annoyed each other. It was strange seeing the eternally cheerful ball of sunshine, Mako Mankanshoku, actually getting frustrated with someone.

Then again he had a feeling it was due how he refused to call her by her first name till yesterday. It got so bad once that she actually exploded at him in anger.

Iori grasped his cloak for warmth as his body shivered. The one time that Mako got truly mad was enough for him to have a healthy fear of the daughter of a back-alley doctor. There was a reason when Mako got serious; he tries his hardest to get the heck out of dodge.

It was always the nice ones you have to watch out for.

"Even if this is the fountain pipeline this place still smells like a sewer." Iori wrinkled his noise in displeasure. "At least the smell could be much worse."

The fountain pipeline was a waterline that was installed in Honnō City for public use. It was used from watering the expensive parks of the Two Star's villas to the drinking fountains in the slums. The water was treated in over seven water treatment facilities in the multi-level city.

It still disturbed Iori that the public water available for the slums was the same water used for the parks in the upper levels.

Iori sighed to himself as he continued his trek. During his monologue on the city water supply he had completely lost Ryūko as she drifted in the water. Luckily for him the tunnel he went down a while back only went down.

The cloaked boy guessed he should probability buy a blueberry muffin that guy likes so much. If it wasn't for his information, Iori knew for a fact that he would have gotten lost at the last junction.

"Halt in the name of Lady Satsuki and the Discipline Committee!" A rough voiced demanded.

The red loving teen shook himself from his thoughts and looked ahead.

A group of about three One Star students loomed ahead, from the slight difference of the grey in their uniforms it was obvious that this little gang belonged to that murderous toad, Gamagoori.

They also did just shout out who they owned their allegiance to.

Iori barely resisted the urge to smile at the sight.

"Oh my, what is the Discipline Committee doing down under? Don't you have hallways to prowl and trash cans to check?" He lazily drawled out. Underneath the cover of his cloak, Iori's fists tighten in anger at the mere sight of the Discipline Committee.

Iori may not have been the biggest fan of Satsuki Kiryūin's fascist rule over Honnō City; however Gamagoori and his goons were a different story. They were attack dogs that bared their fangs at any one who dared to "think" outside the box. Many No-Star students have _scars_ on various parts of their body due to the " _righteous_ j _udgement"_ of the Discipline Committee.

The hypocrisy of that belief drove Iori Katsuki _mad_.

"Idiotic No-Star do you dare question us? We are the hammer of Lady Satsuki and we answer to no one but the student council and her." The talking pig in human clothing stepped forward. The goons behind him smiled as they crudely started to crack their knuckles.

At least they haven't resorted in throwing their feces at him like they normally do. It didn't seem that these weren't the average pigs of the committee in front of him.

"I was just wondering, I mean it's not like your searching for a black haired girl with the love of red. Then again if you are, how can I fault you? Her outfit yesterday was... _unique_ in design."

"He's after the transfer student!" One of the goons shouted in the back.

The leading member raised his hand to silence his patrol. "So you are searching for the Kamui wearer? Sur-"

"Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about." Iori politely interrupted. He then took a step towards the group. "I am looking for my friend Ryūko though. Have you seen her?"

"You dare interrupt your be-"The incoming cloaked boy simply closed his eyes and smiled.

"You are annoying. Please move out of my way." The leading committee member took a step back in surprise.

Somehow this No-Star just closed a ten feet distance within the blink of an eye! A sense of dread filled the leader of the patrol group. As he looked at the short No-Star that got in his way, he stopped. The eyes of the student in front of him were dead off all emotions. It was like there wasn't a human being standing in front of him.

The One-Star student bit his lip. How could be spooked of a No-Star? There was a rumor about a "Miracle No-Star" that defeated the track club last semester. But the One-Star student was there when Gamagoori announced during a committee meeting that the club failed to pay their dues.

After all clubs were expensive at Honnōji academy…

Right?

"Wh-"

The boy punched the One-Star student in the gut. The said student slammed into the opposite wall of the tunnel at light speed.

Darkness was all he knew.

"I did ask him to move." Iori stated to the horror of the surviving patrol members.

"W-What the hell was that?! Is he the "Miracle No-Star?"?" The member on Iori's right whimpered. A light stain could be seen on spreading across his crotch.

"You have to be kidding me Satō, that's just an urban myth! We're both One-Star students! He got lucky with Ayato. Let's show him his place!" The one on the left roared.

Iori lazily looked at one of the minion and then to the other. Were they really going to try to fight him still?

How typical for grunts.

"Sorry, but I can't let this be easy for you know. Then again this was kind of my fault." He kicked the One-Star to the left.

He became friends with the ceiling.

Another kicked ended the whole skirmish.

The so called fight lasted about twenty seconds.

"Whelp that was fun! Hmm, maybe I should fix them up a bit? Nah, I hit them hard enough so they'll forget I was even here." Iori mumbled to himself as wiped his hands on his pants. Just touching those dogs made him feel so dirty.

"Now I should find Ryūko down this tunnel. Hmm…" As he stood on the edge of the waterfall, Iori looked down to the lower level of the waterline in front of him. He sighed in happiness when he noticed what was stuck at the end of the large chamber he recently found himself him.

It seemed that Ryūko was hanging off the ledge with Senketsu spenders.

The strength of a Kamui was different than one would expect. It was nice to know that Iori didn't have to climb down twenty feet to the next level.

"I hope it wouldn't be too difficult to get you out of this mess, Ryūko."

With that said Iori got to work.

He had a friend to save.

* * *

The trip to Mr. Mikisugi place was a tricky one. Due to his unique style of dress, Iori had to use the fountain waterline and the back alleys of the slums to sneak into his favorite teacher one room apartment.

Fishing the extra key he had for his legal guardian apartment, Iori slowly opened the battered door.

The apartment was empty of any human beings.

It seemed that Mr. Mikisugi wasn't here yet. A quick glance at the clock told him that lunch would be in an hour from now.

The apartment was as cluttered as always, the only space that he could put Ryūko down was a brown sleeper sofa.

He was hesitant to place the sleeping girl on said sofa. He knew that his guardian was a fan of baring it all and he slept in the nude. He wouldn't wish his worse enemies to sit on that sofa.

Iori was afraid that if he touched it, his nipples would glow purple too.

"Sorry Ryūko I guess you have to take one for the team then."

He gently placed her down onto the sofa. Once she was laying on it completely, he took off the guitar case on his back. Walking towards his guardian's almost broken door, he placed the guitar case next to it.

"Right where did Mr. Mikisugi place the towels again?" After a five minutes search, he finally found a towel in the kitchen area. Giving the towel a quick sniff told him that it was freshly washed.

He placed it on the cluttered coffee table.

With the experience of a professional nurse, he stripped Ryūko of her wet clothes and hazardously threw Senketsu onto a hanger. Right now he had to make sure his friend was okay.

Ryūko's body was covered in bruises from her earlier defeat at the hand of the tennis captain. Iori clenched his teeth in anger at the sight. From what he could tell from the brief time he had spent with her, Ryūko was a girl that had to finish what she started.

It seemed that he wasn't going to rip Hakodate a new one today.

Why did Ryūko have to get in a fight so fast? She was still healing from blood loss yesterday! Iori had shamefully run out of his healing crème due to treating Ryūko's wounds from the previous day.

He then noticed how soaked she was.

Silently he used the towel he found to dry off his tomboyish friend.

It was strangely nice drying the fierce girl in front of him. Instead of her hot-headed self when she was awake, her face was peaceful in slumber.

The pressure of her self-appointed quest disappeared from her face and for once she looked like a teenage girl. The constant frown that was always on her face or that challenging smirk was replaced with a small smile of content.

Was this the true Ryūko? Was the rebel that was willing to take on the world just a simple front she used to deal with life? What made this peaceful girl in front of him into the hell bent avenger he had the pleasure of befriending?

"Poor Ryūko what happened to you to make you like this?" He whispered as he traced a scar over her left shoulder. It was circular in shape and Iori's medical knowledge clued him in what the wound was from.

It was a bullet hole; someone actually shot his friend in the past. His frown deepened when he noticed a couple more scars that were very similar to the one he just looked at. As his eye scanned Ryūko's nude body, he noticed the grim collection that scared her.

Ryūko's pale skin was ridden with scars from past battles and events that Iori wanted to know about. Was this collection gained within the last six months or before the death of her father? What childhood did she have to go through to gain some of these scars…what was her father doing during all this?

He looked over to the Kamui and it answered his previous question.

So, her father cared more about his research then his own daughter. How disgusting of him…and yet Ryūko loved her old man dearly. From the anger she shown to Satsuki yesterday indicated that she had at least known her father a bit.

But all these scars…

What type of father allows his daughter to gain such a loathsome collection at a young age? Iori gently ran his finger over a nearly white scar on the back of Ryūko's left brachium (upper arm) his medical knowledge told him that it was at least ten years old and it was the result of a knife wound.

His friend at the age of seven was sliced by a pocket knife.

"…I swear to you now that you wouldn't be alone anymore Ryūko. You got Mako and me watching you're back." He told her solemnly, it was his duty as a friend to support Ryūko in her quest for the truth. He would have to talk to Mako later about this also.

Mako would know what course they should take in helping Ryūko out.

As Iori stood up to cover his friend, he noticed a long scar on the upper thigh of his friend. It was long and fairly new compared to the other scars on her body. But the pattern of the scar looked similar to a whip…

" _I'm sorry Gamagoori Sempai! Please stop, I wouldn't do it again!"_

Blood started to drip from his fingers as he remembered _that_ day. Last semester where he did nothing as Mako was…

"No, this isn't the place for this. But watch your back _**toad**_ ; I will pay you in full one day for what you did."

Ryūko in her sleep groaned. Iori looked down and saw goosebumps starting to form on his friend skin. Quickly picking up the thick woolen blanket near the sofa, he placed it on her.

Iori slowly turned to the Kamui that he threw on the hanger. It was still draped over the steel wired frame. He noticed that the dresser near the sofa was high enough for him to hang the uniform up. Iori quietly placed the Kamui Senketsu on a dresser facing his human partner. He wanted Senketsu to be visible to Ryūko once she was awake.

He sat on the papered covered ground and took out a small book about sewing to read.

Within twenty minutes the temptation of checking out the so called Senketsu was too much for the curious boy. Placing his small book on sewing back into his cloak's pocket, the teen stood up. Making sure that Ryūko was still asleep he headed over to Senketsu.

With a trembling hand he tenderly felt the fabric of the black and red uniform.

"Amazing, so this is what one hundred percent feels like. I have to admit Ryūko I am kind of jealous of your outfit." Iori muttered as he moved his hand down one of the sleeves of the inactive Kamui. He squashed down the feeling of jealousy at his friend, how could he be jealous of something like this?

He should be grateful his friend wasn't devoured by the Kamui.

But to see an actually Kamui in action yesterday was amazing. The view he had was front row and Ryūko seemed to be wearing it correctly. Yet, the way how she fainted later on told him that she wasn't connecting to it properly, the blood loss was also a clear sign that something went wrong.

It also troubled him that she had no idea about the true nature of her outfit. It was like she had no knowledge about those red fibers in the first place. But that wouldn't make sense; his backers should have told Ryūko something about her father's legacy.

Why would they keep her in the dark?

Didn't they know her life was at risk?

It ticked Iori off a little bit that his friend might be in danger due to the lack of information. However, the Kamui quickly soothed Iori of his anger. He had a specimen to study!

"You know people might get the wrong idea if they see you fondling a sailor fuku (outfit)." A lazy voice reprehended him. Iori sighed in displeasure as his examination of his friend's fuku was cut short.

His guardian did know when to stop his fun.

"But Mr. Mikisugi I am making sure that Ryūko's outfit didn't have any rips in it." Iori finished stretching out Senketsu on the hanger. "After all I have a feeling that this is her only outfit."

Mr. Mikisugi walked closer to his star pupil, his face was rather serious. A far cry from it's' default form of boredom. Even the teacher's signature slow gait was transformed into a very flamboyant stride as he crossed his own room.

"Katsuki, you and I both know you were doing more than checking for rips."

Iori faced his teacher with a frown.

"That may be true…but that's not the true problem at hand."

Mr. Mikisugi eyebrow shoot up. "Oh what is the problem Iori?" The teacher took a step back from his student in caution. Iori may have been a worrywart at heart but the muffin lover knew how strong his ward was. probably

He was probably stronger then Gamagoori of the Elite Four when it came to physical strength without Goku Uniforms entering the equation.

"Tell me why is Ryūko in the dark? Didn't Doctor Matoi craft Senketsu? I find it distributing that she has no knowledge on her father's legacy other than the information I gave her yesterday. "

Backing up, Mikisugi sat on lone window frame of his small flat. The middle aged teacher was wondering why Iori cared so much for the Matoi scion.

It seemed that introducing him to the Mankanshoku family finally backfired.

It seemed that within a day Ryūko had mange to worm her way into the red loving boy's heart. Then again Ryūko's friendly attitude towards Mako really won her favor with Iori and her later rescue of the food loving girl made her a friend in Iori's book.

"We don't think it's necessary to tell her information yet. Plus, you are not a member of our group the last time I checked." He turned away from his student; it seemed that Iori had already spilled some of the beans to Ryūko.

He had to know what information that Iori told Ryūko and if that information would endanger the Mankanshoku family if Satsuki's spies overheard the two.

"What did you tell her? If you endang-"

"I would phrase that in a different way Mikisugi. It might… _offend_ someone in this room."

Iori looked very displeased at what his teacher was about to suggest. Did Mikisugi really doubt his love for his adaptive family? He would never be so careless and paint a target on the Mankanshokus' back.

The said teacher sighed in frustration at his student's interruption. It was like pulling teeth sometimes with his favorite student. Then again he had a feeling why the boy was in such a sour mood.

It seemed that Isshin's brat was already causing him problems and it was only her second day here! Sometimes Mikisugi really hated transfer students, first the boy from Kobe and now the Kanto Vagabond was in his class causing trouble.

Then again he already started the year with Mankanshoku and Iori in his class. Why couldn't he get a class filled with normal students?

A grimace crossed Mikisugi's face. "…Must you act like a teenager at times Iori? It's rather infuriating to deal with you when you're in one of these moods."

A small chuckle filled the room.

"I thought you told me to 'Enjoy my springtime of youth'?"

Mikisugi could tell that Iori was getting rather deep into one of his 'moods'. Then again the mocking chuckle that was erupting from the teen's throat was rather obvious.

"Iori…" Mikisugi warned.

"Fine, I only gave her brief information about Kamui and a hint about how to activate him."

"Him?"

Iori leaned on the stack of papers next to Senketsu. The boy thought how he should answer the question that his teacher asked him.

The boy slowly rubbed his forehead in thought; he didn't want to reveal all his cards to Mikisugi yet. They were kind of friends but to be honest he was much closer to Ryūko then Mikisugi. This was sad when he actually thought about it. He had known Mikisugi for little bit over a year and yet a girl he has only known for twenty four hours was closer to him

He blamed Mako for this situation.

"I believe 'fresh blood' is a very masculine name…"The boy trailed off as Mikisugi stared at him.

Iori folded like a wet tissue paper at the glare.

"Fine, I overheard her telling Mako that Senketsu was a guy. Mako then spotted me and sent me a glare that told me to stay away for a while. I pretty sure that she overheard Ryūko and I…argue yesterday."

"How bad?"

"I threatened to kill her if she touched the Mankanshokus in the wrong way." Iori shrugged. It was a common response for the boy. After all working at a back alley clinic attracts all the wrong sort of attention from his fellow slum members.

They learnt not to mess with him after the first couple of times that his boss got a hold of the punks that tried to extort cash for him.

He could still hear their screams at night.

"The usual then?" Mikisugi's question brought the sour dough loving boy back into reality.

"Correct… "Iori nervously scratched his cheek; he really should be embarrassed that was a "usual" response from him. Then again Iori always knew that he was rather simple in some aspects.

"That's usual for you? Iori maybe you're crazier than I thought." Ryūko chuckled out loud. It was her luck that she always attracted the crazies.

Wait a darn minute!

Iori turned towards the couch to see a now awake Ryūko. The tomboy sent a smirk at the cloaked boy. The boy was happy to see that his friend was awake and yet he was worried.

How much did she hear? Then again why was he worried? It's not like Mikisugi and he talked about anything life threatening.

He glanced over the nude girl and she curiously looked back.

At least she didn't notice the state of her nudity. He really would love to have his hearing for the rest of the day.

"Hello Ryūko are you feeling better?" He asked as he bent down to check her face. It seemed that her bruises were mostly yellow with few specks of green. Honestly the rate that Ryūko was healing astonished Iori. Normally it took about a couple of days for blue and purple bruises to change into the so called "healing bruise colors". But for the bruises to change colors that quickly in about four hours?

That was the realm of superhuman abilities and no regular person could boost such healing capability. Was this the real reason why Ryūko could wear her Kamui partner?

"You know if you take a picture it'll last you longer."

"I was checking the coloring of your bruises. To be honest you shouldn't be healing this fast."

"So what, I have a fast healing rate…" Ryūko fiery blue eyes locked with his tired black ones. Why did he always look tried she wondered. "Got a problem with it?"

"A problem? Not at all, in fact I am rather happy that you're okay. I saw the beating you took from the tennis captain."

Ryūko waved a hand in front of her face, her blanket falling down and give Iori a full blown view on her goods.

"Don't worry _mom_ I'll kick her ass next time."

"If you can get your Kamui to work."

A blush raced across Ryūko face at Iori's rather blunt statement. She never has felt as embarrassed before in her life till today with the underperformance she experienced earlier with Senketsu.

"S-Shut up! It's not my fault that the idiot was asleep on me!"

"Well of course your Kamui would be asleep. You didn't feed him any blood."

"Blood?" Ryūko questioned. "Also where the hell are we?"

Mikisugi glanced over to Iori, his eyes telling the red loving teen to let him handle this.

"This humble place is my home Ryūko Matoi. It's also good to see you back in the land of the living."

Ryūko fixed her homeroom teacher with a scowl. "Aren't you my homeroom teacher?"

Mikisugi focused all his attention to the transfer student. "That's right. I'm your homeroom teacher, Aikuro Mikisugi." He put a hand through his hair as he continued.

"You had a big day, I hope you learnt something after that beating Ryūko."

"Learnt something? I learnt that everyone that goes to my school is nuts." Ryūko moved herself up and felt strangely cold. That is when she saw Senketsu at the corner of her eye.

A fiery blush soon covered her face. "Oh my god! Iori did you fucking undress me again?"

"Yep, I didn't want you to catch a cold."

"Y-You are a pervert!" Ryūko pointed her finger angry at the amused teen in front of her. Why was he always undressing her! She did understand both times were for medical reasons, but still! It wasn't right to the tomboy.

"A pervert? I was just doing my job, I see ton of nude girls before working at the clinic." He titled his head and raised a finger to his lips. "It's nothing special to be honest."

"YOU FUCKING ASS!"

"Ass? I just pretend you're wearing a bikini or something."

"IORI KATSUKI I GOING TO PUN-"

"Now, now you too lovebirds," Ryūko growled in anger at that suggestion and Iori simply looked confused at what Mikisugi was saying. "You guys can flirt later. But now Ryūko it's time to teach you few things about the desirable body of yours."

Launching herself from the sofa, Ryūko threw a mean right hook at her teacher. "ASSHOLE I'M…the hell? What can't I move my body?" Mikisugi dodged the sloppy punch that Ryūko threw at him and launched a wave of needles at her body. The needles entered the tomboy's body without an effort.

"Calm down that hot-blooded body of yours, Ryūko. Those anesthetic acupuncture needles should keep you locked up for a while." Mikisugi walked towards his desk and pulled out a rather large needle.

"Do you mind if I take some of your blood? After all 'seeing is believing.'"

Iori looked on in awe as Ryūko turned pale as a sheet. She trembled at the sight of the needle and her head rapidly switched from looking at Mikisugi, Iori, and the needle. Ryūko's reaction to the incoming needle was rather cute in Iori's opinion. It seemed that the Guitar Case Drifter was afraid of needles.

Who would have thought?

"N-No! G-Get away from me! I hate needles!"

"Cute…" It seemed that Iori released his opinion to the world. The weak glare that Ryūko tried to throw at Iori made the boy coo at her cuteness.

"W-What!" Ryūko was surprised at her friend reaction. She was seriously going to kick his ass later! Now one calls her cute and now he was making fun of her fear!

Needles are freaking scary!

"Well that wasn't so bad was it?" It seemed the little play by play between the two teens allowed Mikisugi to draw the required amount of blood. He pointed the needle at Senketsu and said.

"As Iori mention earlier to you Ryūko, 'life's blessing' or blood is required to wake your Kamui."

Blood flew from the needle and landed Senketsu's collar. The uniform started to shine purple and with a flash transformed into a talking sailor uniform. The upper front part of the sailor uniform turned into a face. A giant orange and yellow eyeball started to rapidly bulge as it scanned the room for more blood. Senketsu saw that his human was alright and started to calm down and opened his newly created mouth. His collar started to move up and down like they were massive red eyebrows.

Iori was amazed at the transformation. He wasn't expecting to see an actual change in physical appearance between an sleeping Kamui and a awake one. It also seemed to be talking to Ryūko and from the yells of abuse flying from Ryūko; she seemed to understand what he was saying.

It was an unbelievable sight and a lucky one for Iori. However…

A strange music filled the one room apartment and Iori had the displeasure of knowing what was coming next.

He was going to nip it in the bud before it could become anything serious.

"Mikisugi if you start to strip I am leaving." The tone was cold and the delivery of the sentence even colder.

"…Iori don't do this to me." The (now) male stripper whined.

"Don't test me Mikisugi; I don't want to see you strip. It's nasty enough that you do it front of guys but now you're going to do the same to Ryūko? I believe they call that sexual harassment."

Ryūko was just confused on the whole situation. What did Iori mean by Mikisugi stripping? Wait why did she want to know that in the first place?

"What?" Was the only word she could voice due to her confusion.

"Trust me Ryūko this is something that no one should witness."

Mikisugi actually seemed hurt by his favorite student statement. He had a godly body! Shouldn't it be his duty to display to the world, especially to his pupils? To hide such knowledge was a crime to his profession as a teacher!

"Since I refuse to let you suffer through an ill-intended strip show…" Mikisugi curled up in a ball at his student destroying any chance of showing his body off. Iori continued on, he didn't want to waste more time. After all the lunch bell was supposed to ring any minute by now.

"You should have realized by know that your Kamui gains consciousness when he taste your blood. The Kamui Senketsu was created by my information by your father, Isshin Matoi. The sheer power of a Kamui gives you tremendous advantage against those _ratty_ Goku uniforms you have witnessed already."

" _Ratty_? Those freaking things are dangerous! Did you see that midget with the boxing gloves yesterday?" Ryūko yelled, she was shocked that Iori considered those killer outfits as sub-par! She witness firsthand how insane those Two-Star uniforms were and here was her friend saying there were 'ratty'.

The hell is up with that?

Iori smiled at his unsure friend, she really had no idea what she was blessed with. Well maybe he should tell her why those Goku uniforms were simply sub-par compared to her outfit.

"You see your Kamui is one hundred percent made out of l-"

A hand grabbed Iori's shoulder, the suddenness of the maneuver stop Iori cold. Glancing at Mikisugi from the corner of his vision Iori frowned. It seemed that his guardian didn't want him to talk.

How annoying but he did have an agreement to follow. If anything was true about Iori Katsuki was the fact that he was a man of his word.

"Made out of what? Come on Iori don't leave me hanging!" The still frozen Ryūko demanded. Just as she was about to get some answer in regards to Senketsu, her homeroom teacher stopped her friend from saying anything!

Wait when did she consider Iori a friend?

"Sorry Ryūko but my 'guardian' here doesn't want me to say anything more." He bowed in apology.

"Whatever…" She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Is there any reason why you are stopping Iori from giving me information, mister pervert?"

Mikisugi simply smirked at the annoyance that was radiating off Ryūko. "You have to prove yourself first Ryūko Matoi. I can't let Iori tell you information that you are simply not ready to know." He ripped off his shirt and his manly chest was shown to the world. Iori simply grabbed a pillow from the sofa and place it front of Ryūko face.

He would spare her from such a grizzly fate.

"Iori…," Mikisugi pouted, it was unfair! Just when he thought he had a chance! "Anyways, if you want to defeat Satsuki Kiryūin you need to master wearing your Kamui. By doing this there is no doubt about your victory over the Kiryūin heiress and getting the answers you seek."

Ryūko was glad for the shield that Iori protected her with and she smirked at the teen. Her smirk widened when she saw him mouth 'you're welcome and please save me'.

Maybe she wouldn't kick his ass for undressing her earlier.

However, she had something important to ask from the stripper that was her teacher.

"Okay who are you guys?" Ryūko clenched her teeth in annoyance. "Where did you get this information and did you know my father?"

"As much I want to tell you Ryūko, I am bound by an agreement that keeps my mouth shut." Iori saw the frown that quickly formed on Ryūko's face.

Sadly it was the truth, he couldn't lose the information that his backers were sending him. Worse, he couldn't risk losing Mikisugi's organization protection against the people who want him dead.

Going down the route would lead to his death and probably the death of his friends.

It was something that Iori refused to gamble with.

"No, I understand Iori. I have a feeling that it's something you can't afford to lose." Seeing him nod in agreement, caused Ryūko to switch her frown towards her homeroom teacher. She was glad that she still couldn't see him due to the pillow in front of her.

Her glare would cause any normal man to turn to ash.

"Let's be reasonable Ryūko, if you can manage to defeat the tennis captain, Omiko Hakodate, I will allow Iori to finish what he was going tell you."

"I don't have a choice in the matter, but fine. I beat that tennis freak into the dirt and then you will allow my friend to tell me what I need."

"See, that wasn't so hard Ryūko."

The shrill of a siren filled the air as the afternoon classes were just about to start. Mikisugi raced over to his paralyzed student and quickly threw the needles off. Like magic, Ryūko regain the control of her body. She quickly dropped down and covered herself with the woolen blanket she woke with.

"We better get going, afternoon classes are starting! Iori give her the glove." With that Mikisugi was out in a flash.

He could be quick when he needed to.

"Glove?"

Iori walked over to the dresser with Senketsu on it and threw the Kamui to the tomboy. Ryūko easily swiped it from the air and started to dress herself. Normally she wouldn't even think about doing such an action in front of people much less a guy but, Iori seemed that he could care less about her nude state. As Iori opened and started to dig through the dresser he said.

"There is actually one piece of your Kamui that you are missing Ryūko. It's not an originally part of Senketsu, but I believe it should make using Senketsu even easier than before."

A red glove lay in the palm of Iori's hand. It had steel planting on the knuckles and a strange pin was on the right side of the glove. For some odd reason Ryūko felt that the glove was familiar to her but she could swear that she never seen it before.

Right?

As Ryūko took the glove and moved her right hand into it, Iori opened his mouth again.

"I call it the Seki Tekko (Crimson Glove) and by pulling the pin it will allow you to feed blood to your Kamui without any issue."

Ryūko stared at her gloved hand in puzzlement. So, just by pulling the pin she could transform with Senketsu? How convenient for Iori to have such a thing, then again something that her cloaked friend said bugged her.

"Thanks Iori…but what do you mean by 'I call it the Seki Tekko'? It's not like you made it right?" Ryūko looked around the room to notice that Iori was missing. It seemed during her studying of her Seki Tekko, Iori left the room without her noticing.

"…I am going to punch that dumbass later for this."

With that said Ryūko grabbed her guitar case next to the door and left the room.

She did learn some things today but at the same time she was left with even more question.

One thing she did know was that her homeroom teacher and Iori Katsuki were in cahoots with each other. Yet it looked like the two men could barely stand each other and the earlier exchange she overheard from them when she was sleeping told her something interesting.

She was right that Iori knew something and he is willing to give her information over time as they got to know each other more. Yet Mikisugi had something big on the cloaked boy and Ryūko had a feeling that his so called organization was in fact 'protecting' Iori.

But from what and from whom?

It bothered Ryūko and yet she threw these questions to the back of her mind.

She had a tennis chick to beat and answers to win.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _ **Don't worry I haven't forgot about the tennis fight! It's just that the next chapter will have a fight scene that will more then make that up. I mean who doesn't like seeing** **Ryūko and Satsuki beating the snot out of each other? I know I going to enjoy writing that scene a lot! I bet a couple of you might be wondering why didn't Senketsu talk at all in this chapter. That is because this chapter is from is from Iori POV and not**_ ** _Ryūko's POV. Only Ryūko's chapters are going to have a talking Senketsu, after all only she can hear him._**

 _ **So yeah I hope d you guys enjoyed this chapter and if you have any questions send me a PM!**_

 ** _Next Chapter: "Hot-Blooded Devil": Fresh Blood_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you again soon!_**


	5. Hot-Blooded Devil: Fresh Blood

_**Author's Note**_

 _ **It has almost been two weeks since the last chapter of "Never Losing the Way". But fear not my readers! Here is chapter five in its glory!**_

 ** _Thank you_** ** _everyone who review, favorite, follow, or just click on this story. It's you people that keep me going and it's nice to know that people enjoy my work, you know? Here is the first big fight in Kill La Kill and "Never Losing the Way" and it's done from our favorite tomboy's POV. I really do hope you guys enjoyed this fight scene. I have to admit this chapter has been pretty challenging to write...but what's life without challenges?_**

 ** _It would be pretty boring right?_**

 ** _Anyways,_** ** _I do not own Kill La Kill (I do own Iori Katsuki so, no stealing!) and I hope you enjoy this fight chapter!_**

 ** _If you see a * please go down to the bottom Author's Note for explanation._**

* * *

It has been a week since her bout with the tennis captain, Omiko Hakodate, and Ryūko Matoi was annoyed and happy at the same time.

She was annoyed at the progress of her quest and the lack of information she received from winning in her fight against the shark mouthed captain. When she confronted Mikisugi in tow with Iori, she learnt the bare bones of the situation and what the Goku uniforms and what Senketsu was made out of.

Apparently they were both made out of this material called "Life Fibers". Special fibers that grant people super human strength and bring out special abilities. However, Life Fibers were not like regular fabric you could get at any hobby store. No, they were actually alive and Senketsu was proof of that claim.

Iori also told her how the "star" system of Honnōji Academy actually worked. Each star represented how much of the uniform was made out of Life Fibers. The fabric of a One-Star Goku uniform consist of sixty percent cotton, twenty percent of polyester, and ten percent of Life Fibers. A Two-Star uniform on the other hand had twenty percent ratio of Life Fibers instead of ten. Finally the Three-Star uniforms worn by Satsuki's "Elite Four" had a ratio of thirty percent Life Fibers in them.

Seeing the strength of Two-Star Goku uniforms firsthand made Ryūko curious and a little frighten about the power behind a Three-Star Goku uniform. If that midget of a boxer almost killed her with only a uniform that was made of only twenty percent of Life Fibers…how much deadlier would thirty percent be?

However, at the same time it was heartening to learn that her Kamui, Senketsu, was fully crafted out of Life Fibers. During their first transformation together, Ryūko felt an unlimited source of power running through her blood and yet it disappeared. The other couple of times that she transformed with Senketsu didn't fill her with the same amount of power then the first time. Thus, Ryūko knew that she was just scratching the surface of Senketsu's power and yet she still could not understand why she couldn't bring out his full power.

Every time she asked Senketsu why this was the case he would only say.

" _ **You have yet to wear me properly Ryūko."**_

What did he mean by that? He was just a sailor uniform that her father created for her. All she had to do was put him on right?

What was she missing?

Ryūko did also learn that those small red strings that kept being sucked up by Senketsu at the end of her fights were Life Fibers. She did also feel stronger with each one she absorbed.

When she asked her teacher and Iori about why she felt like this after absorbing those Life Fibers they didn't have any clue about the phenomena.

Well she knew that Mikisugi had no clue about it…Iori on the other hand she still had problems reading.

When she asked them how they knew this information, Iori simply avoided her gaze and Mikisugi started to talk. He went on to explain that her father, Dr. Isshin Matoi, knew the secrets behind creating Kamui. However, he wasn't only in this knowledge…the Kiryūin family also held the secrets of Kamui in their bloodline.

At least she knew now why her father was targeted.

It pissed her off that her beloved dad was killed because he knew how to create talking outfits. Her earlier assumption about Satsuki Kiryūin being behind her father death was correct.

She will make Satsuki Kiryūin _pay_ for what she did!

Apparently Mikisugi worked with her father in the past and that why he knew all this information. They were silent about Iori knew all about this, but Ryūko wasn't really surprised by that. From what she knew of the worrywart from the week she has known him is that he really didn't like talking about his past.

Normally Ryūko would be all gun-ho about getting information related to her father and her new weapon against Satsuki Kiryūin. However, from the past experiences with her father, Ryūko knew that pushing people for their past or information wasn't the smartest choice to take.

Her father never really told her about her mom or why he sent her away. God forbid if she tried to dig into his past or she showed curiosity for his research.

He would refuse to send a letter for a month and Ryūko quickly learnt not to pry too much into her father's history after suffering through the month long wait twice.

" _I'll kill you, okay?"_

There was also that to contend with.

She did wondered how Mikisugi set up her meeting with Senketsu…but she wasn't going question it.

Yeah, Senketsu may be powerful but why did he have to turn into a sleazy garterbelt bikini? It made wearing him embarrassing at hell!

" _I guess your dad was into kinky stuff like that."_

Now that was a thought that chilled her to the bone. Ryūko shook her head in fright as she tried to get the image of her old man doing rather questionable acts with her mom. She had to think of something, anything to saver her from the knowledge that her father was a sexual deviant!

She tossed and turned in her bed as she tried to think of something else. It was during her struggles that her thin cotton blanket showed to the world her borrowed pajamas.

A small grin crossed her face as Ryūko looked over her pajamas. The white bunny faces of Mako's old set filled her with joy.

Even if her time at Honnōji Academy was annoying the living hell out of her; Ryūko was happy at the same time.

For the first time in her life, Ryūko Matoi had people she could actually call _friends_.

It was an experience she didn't understand how to feel but it was something she was quickly growing fond of. Now she didn't show that she enjoyed her new friends company after all she did have a reputation to protect…but she could feel herself getting more and more relax just talking to them.

It was a scary feeling to allow people to get to know her better that wasn't family. She had no idea how they did it, but Mako and Iori have managed to sneak into her heart.

Then again even Ryūko felt like she was getting even closer with Senketsu of all things! The sheer thought of becoming friends with a sentient sailor uniform was absolutely…

 _Ridiculous!_

Yet why did it feel so right to think of Senketsu as a he instead of an it? Why did she feel such a connection with the perverted uniform of hers?

What was a Kamui true nature and why did her father make him?

"Oh Ryūko it's time to wake up! Get up! Get up! We can't be late for school again! " A cheerfully voice snapped Ryūko from her questions.

She finally got up from her sleeping mat and answered back.

"Fine, Fine I'll get up Mako." She yawn, "Mako where is Senketsu?"

The bathroom door was slammed opened and a teen girl at Ryūko's age stepped in. Her brown eyes shined in happiness as she saw Ryūko walking towards her. Mako stepped to the side and allowed the tomboy to enter the bathroom.

At first glance you would think that Ryūko would be fast in her morning rituals due to her delinquent looks. However, Ryūko surprised the entire Mankanshoku household with how long it took her to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Who would have thought that Ryūko would be that girl that took forever in the bathroom in the morning?

Ryūko looked at the fully dressed girl that was happily chatting to her, even if Ryūko couldn't response back due to brushing her.

This was Mako Mankanshoku and she was Ryūko first female friend.

Mako was the most energetic girl, no person that Ryūko has ever met in her life. She was always cheerful and carefree to her knowledge. Mako was also really odd and some of the antics that Mako would get into caused her a headache just thinking about it. To Ryūko's surprise, Mako seemed to be immune to the violent slums she lived in. Then again knowing that her father was the best doctor in town probably was the cause of Mako's exception from her fellow comrades in the slums.

Mako was fearless and very aggressive when it comes to food though. The major downside of Mako personality in her opinion was how scatterbrained the brown haired girl was.

Talking about being scatterbrained, Mako did never answer her question about her talking uniform.

"Mako, do you know where Senketsu is?" Ryūko questioned her friend again.

"Senketsu? Oh you're uniform? Iori is taking care of him!"

Ryūko nodded her thanks to her friend as she finally reentered the bedroom and headed out to find her other friend.

Iori Katsuki is the name of the other person she befriended in this crazy city. Iori was a person that she couldn't fully read to how extreme emotional changes the cloaked boy would undertake. At one moment Iori could be talking to you as cheerfully as Mako, but the next be willing to kill you. He was a good person at heart and Ryūko could easily tell that whole Mankanshoku meant the world to shorter than average boy. Iori was also a major worrywart and was always fussing over the littlest of things. For example, yesterday she got in a scuffle with some thugs and beat the living snot at of them. The first thing that Iori did when she told him?

He dragged her to the clinic and started to search her body for wounds!

It was a reaction that Ryūko was not expecting and she made sure to hide the fact that she was getting in daily fights…

Somehow Iori still know and would fuss over her until she couldn't take it. After dodging a couple of punches the boy would simply smile and offer to take care of Senketsu.

Ryūko did wonder why he liked taking care of that damn pervert in the first place. But who was she to complain? It meant that she didn't have to take care of the thing and it gave her more time to train her swordplay.

She was no fool in her ability with her father's legacy. She never really used a sword during her delinquent years in middle school and she was more of a fist fighter. Six months of bastardized training from books, manga, and movies was nothing compared to the skill that Satsuki Kiryūin held when they clash blades last week after the defeat of the tennis bimbo.

Even if Iori loved to tease her about her few weakness, she swear if she hears one more joke about her being directionally challenge she was going to kick him in the balls, she trusted him.

He was willing to tell her information about Senketsu and Life Fibers overtime and he was also trying to befriend her.

Talking about her friends…

" _ **Ah! ~ Good morning Ryūko! Do you know how glad I am that Iori is your friend? His skills with an iron are god-like. Is this how living in a paradise feels like? I can feel the wrinkles disappearing Ryūko…THE WRINKLES!"**_

This was her so called god-robe mewing like a schoolgirl with a crush as her friend Iori ironed him with the skill of a profession couturier. It amazed Ryūko how skilled Iori was at household chores…or anything with sewing.

She was crap with those evil incarnated needles.

"…It's too early for this shit." Ryūko mumbled to herself as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Morning Senketsu, Iori."

He threw Ryūko his standard smile. "Good Morning Ryūko! I hope you slept well! Don't you worry; I should be done with Senketsu in about ten minutes."

" _ **Do you have to?"**_

Ryūko decided to ignore Senketsu whine and responded back to Iori. "You spoil that damn sailor uniform too much Iori. But if you want to take care of him, who am I to complain?"

"You're welcome Ryūko! ~"

"Shut up _dumbass_ …" She grumbled out in annoyance.

Iori took her insult in stride knowing that the tomboy didn't really mean it. Iori founded it interesting how shy Ryūko was when you pay attention to her. It seems doing the little things for her like taking care of Senketsu or making her breakfast seem to fluster her a bit. Iori actually found the whole thing amusing and resolved to keep it up.

Aren't friends supposed to tease each other? Anyways there was something he had to tell Ryūko before it was too late.

"By the way Ryūko you breakfast is ready for at the dining room table. I would get it quick before Guts decides he wants another breakfast."

Hearing this jolted Ryūko out of her slumber. "Thanks Iori! I can't let that stupid dog eat my breakfast again!"

The first two days that Ryūko stayed at the Mankanshoku she learnt a couple things about the quirky family. However the most important piece of knowledge that she learnt was how the Mankanshoku treated food.

It was like gold to them.

Every time that breakfast was served or dinner was put on the table, it was like a free for all battle royale for it. It was due to her reflexes gained during her time as a drifter that allowed her to eat anything during meal time.

Ryūko quickly showed why she was feared in the west as the "Hot Blooded- Devil" and pushed, punched, and throw the people that stood between her and food.

After finishing that thought, Ryūko sat down and quickly started to dig into her rice bowl. She was lucky today as Guts apparently decided to devour Matarō's breakfast instead of hers.

She had to know the secrets behind Mako's mom cooking! Even with such subpar indigents the rice bowl she was eating tasted amazing!

Maybe she could even ask for some lessons from the household wife.

"Ryūko it seems like Guts didn't eat your breakfast today! I have a feeling today is going to be a great day! It's already off to a great start!" Mako shouted as she jumped into the spot next to Ryūko. The forever happy girl quickly grabbed a beat up bowl and started to dig in with gusto.

"Geez, Mako where do you get all this energy from?" Ryūko sighed in amusement as she watched her friend devour the food in front of her.

It amazed Ryūko how much her simply friend could eat. From what she has seen so far, Mako always seems to eat twice as much as she does. Heck out of the whole family, the random girl ate the most!

How could she eat so much and not get fat?

"Where does it all go to?" Ryūko pouted as she patted her stomach, she quickly scanned the room to make sure no one saw her moment of weakness.

She had to be tough and strong to defeat her enemies and learn the truth about her father.

It would ruin her street credit if someone saw her pouting!

Worse if Iori caught her making the face she would never hear the end to it.

"Ryūko, Senketsu is all clean and sparkly!" Iori rang out from the backyard.

Did ten minutes already pass by?

Ryūko stretched her body out and sighed in disappointment. She hated the morning and now she had to rush to get to school. Why couldn't Iori take longer in his chores?

"Augh, I was just finishing breakfast too!"

"Well the earlier worm gets the bird!"

"Screw being the earlier worm Mako…" Ryūko glared at her overcharged friend. Why couldn't Mako be a night owl like her?

" _ **You look tired Ryūko**_." The voice of Senketsu entered her mind. The tomboy looked up to see Iori carrying a neatly folded Senketsu that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. What did Iori use to clean Senketsu so much? Heck even those grass stains she got during a scuffle yesterday with some no named One-Stars was gone!

Iori truly knew his stuff.

Nodding her head in thanks to the cloaked boy, Ryūko left for the bathroom. Once she entered the ratty room she started to strip.

"…I have a bad feeling about today."

" _ **I see…"**_ Senketsu closed his good eye in thought. _**"There is something out there at the academy that bares us ill will. I don't know what it is but if I can sense it…"**_

"Do you think it's another Kamui?"

Senketsu scanned his human for any emotions. Her face become stone like and cold, her jaw clenched in sheer determination for the fight. It was a face that reminded him of Satsuki Kiryūin and it was disturbing to see his human act like that. Ryūko may show to the outside world that she as tough as nails and doesn't take crap for anything. But Senketsu through the few times they almost become one could get a glimpse of his partner heart. It told him that underneath all that bravado that Ryūko Matoi was a kind girl who had a rough life. However, seeing this face on her now…

It was rather eerie how close his human could act like her rival.

" _ **It's a possibility we have to account for. I am worried if we have to fight such a thing."**_

Ryūko unconsciously to rubbed his closed eye and Senketsu leaned into his partner touch. Ryūko would never touch him on purpose due to her feelings of disgust that she had for him. It hurt him to know that his partner didn't trust him or liked him that much. But if Iori and Mako could wiggle into her heart then so could he.

"What do you mean?"

" _ **You still haven't worn me properly yet Ryūko. If someone at school truly does have a Kamui equipped and they are bonded properly. I doubt we would have a chance."**_

"…"

Ryūko stared at her reflection in the mirror, her thoughts alien to her uniform. Her left fist clenched her hairbrush with extreme strength and yet it seemed that Ryūko was not mad at him.

No she was mad at something else.

" _ **Ryūko?"**_

"Let's get going Senketsu. I rather finish this day as fast as possible."

* * *

A heavy yawn escaped from Ryūko's mouth as she entered Honnōji academy. She lazily looked ahead at the weirdly designed school as her two friends followed her.

Behind her Iori gave Mako a look and the girl with the bowl style haircut nodded.

"What's wrong Ryūko? Didn't get enough sleep?" Mako questioned her friend in worry. She remembered the night before how Ryūko's uniform had those creepy goosebumps and how worried her only female friend looked. She bet her sexy panties that Ryūko didn't get enough sleep due to how worried she was about her uniform.

"Yeah. I feel like something bad is going to happen."

It was then Iori decided to butt in.

"Don't be a downer Ryūko! Today is going to be a good day, I mean didn't Guts spare your breakfast today? That has to be a sign right?" He gave her a thumb up and she returned it with a rather impolite gesture.

"…Iori, Guts didn't eat my breakfast Monday and do you remember what happen?"

This time Iori nervously chuckled. "I think you got chased by a pack of dogs in the slums?"

"Exactly! So don't you start talking about this luck bull crap again!" She growled in anger as Iori responded with a raspberry.

It was Mako's turn to look at Ryūko in confusion. "I thought there were only wild dogs near the power plant. Ryūko what were you doing there?"

A red plume spread itself across Ryūko's face as she tried to look anywhere but Mako. She faced Iori, as he started to snicker. He was the only one to know about her failure at directions. How she was supposed to know that Mako family lived in the east part of the slums and the city's power plant was in the west! All the shacks looked the same to her!

His damned snicker started to increase in volume. She would not let this jerk get away with this! Justice would be hers!

"Ow!"

"Hmm, it seems that you need to kick harder than that Ryūko."

As she bounced on one foot cradling her bruised left foot, she glared at her male companion.

"What the hell are you made of?"

"Iron!" That was Mako.

"You're not helping Mako…"

"Well if you want to know I co-" Iori tried to say before Ryūko whipped her head in his direction.

"Do you want me to punch you?" She growled.

Iori started to walk faster. "I think we got only five minutes before class starts. Come on guys!"

Ryūko smirked at the retreating boy. He wasn't really good at this whole teasing thing once the threat of violence entered the field. Then again he was really wimpy unless you pushed one of his buttons.

Her eye twitched as she started to walk again, her foot really didn't hurt that much but it annoying.

She still wondered what the hell he ate. It felt like she was kicking an iron door or something!

"So about those dogs." Mako jumped in front of her.

"Damn it Mako! Drop it already!"

A flash of a familiar light blinded the group of three. It was a light that Ryūko has grown to hate during her time at Honnōji Academy. It was that stupid floodlight that eyebrow freak had a fetish for.

What the hell did Satsuki Kiryūin want now?

" _ **Ryūko be on your guard. That presence I felt is coming from her!"**_

Shoving her hand in front of her face to block the intense light, Ryūko hissed out.

"Fine let that _bitch_ come at me! I'll show her who the hell she messing with!"

Mako let out an eep as Iori manhandled her away from an enormous red staircase that was descending from the heavens. Dust flew into the air as it smashed the ground underneath it. This was a staircase that Ryūko was very familiar with. After all this was the personal staircase for one Satsuki Kiryūin!

"I see you made it to school right on time…" The dictator of Honnō City announced from the top of her throne. Clasping her blade in an iron grip she glared at the delinquent that dared to renounce her rule and actively rebel against her.

To average her father's death? How weak! How selfish of this pig in human clothing to think such things!

Ryūko smirked as she realized the rather fancy set-up in the courtyard. A horde of One-Star students stood on either side holding up traditional Japanese flags with the Honnōji Academy symbol stamped on them.

How nice for Satsuki Kiryūin to set up the place of her defeat! Today she was going to beat this highborn bitch into the ground and make her squeal!

Her father would be avenged today!

" _ **Ryūko your blood is heating up!"**_ Senketsu cried in warning.

"Don't worry Senketsu I'm just getting warmed up for this fight."

Ryūko closed her eyes and pompously asked, "What's up with this grand welcome? I mean I wasn't expecting you to be here waiting for me. So, what's the special occasion?"

A heel clicked ranged out in the courtyard as Satsuki Kiryūin started to walk down the red staircase. "I believe it was your words Matoi, 'that the next time we meet we would finish this thing'."

"Aren't you the _conscientious_ type," Ryūko retorted before glancing to her female friend, "Mako get back I don't you to get caught in the crossfire."

The daughter of a back-alley daughter saluted the tomboy and ran into the surrounding crowd. Ryūko turned to see Iori still standing by her side, he looked serious for once.

"Aren't you going to get out of here too dumbass?"

Iori turned his black eyes to hers, cobalt meet onyx, and "Ryūko kick this damned Kiryūin ass for me."

Ryūko let a chuckle out at her friend's response. It seemed that worrywart held a grudge against the _glorious_ student council president. It didn't surprise her at the slightest. He properly blamed Satsuki Kiryūin for his adopted family living conditions or something.

"Sure why the hell not? I was going to pound her into the dirt anyways, might as well do you a favor while at it." Iori smiled at her cocky reply and turned around from the Kamui user.

"Thanks," he started to walk away before he paused in thought, "Let go of any notion of being weird by wearing your Kamui. Believe in him and trust in his appearance and only then can you beat the harlot in front of you." With that said the cloaked boy merged into the crowd of onlookers.

"What?"

"… _ **Ryūko listen to his words. If you just accept me for who I am then you can beat Satsuki!"**_

"Okay the hell is the matter Senketsu? You didn't have problem with me yesterday!" She harshly whispered to her partner. He sounded really worried and she still didn't understand what he was saying! Accept him? He's a piece of clothing he should be happy that she's wearing his ass in the first place! Yeah her father did make him didn't mean she had to be friends with him!

Why did he have to make her look like a hoe?!

" _ **By the fiber Ryūko, look at what she is wearing!"**_ She was taken back by his tone. Senketsu has only been kind and patient with her. He treated her with respect and he was mostly the first to defend her during their time together. Yet the angry but panicked tone he used caused Ryūko to actually look at Satsuki Kiryūin for the first time today.

Her eyes widening at the sight before her she asked Senketsu, "Shit is that a-".

Satsuki Kiryūin a mere yard in front of her slammed her sword into the ground. The cocky smile she gave caused Ryūko to tense in preparation for a fight.

"Rejoice Ryūko Matoi! You have the honor of being the first sacrifice for Junketsu!"

The name rolled across Ryūko's mind. Junketsu was the name of her Kamui? What hubris to name her god robe with such a title.

"Junketsu you say?" Ryūko tried to erase any sense of worry from her mind. This wasn't a battle she could afford to be scared about. This was THE battle on her quest for the truth behind her beloved father's death. She cannot fail now!

"'Purity?' I didn't think there was anything pure about you in the first place Satsuki Kiryūin!" Ryūko cracked her neck as she slowly settled herself into a fighting position, "Were you so scared of Senketsu and me that you had to get your own Kamui?"

That ice glare that Satsuki sent her almost made Ryūko regret saying those words. But then again she realized she was insulting a murderer, so what the hell did it matter if she hurts her feelings?

The bitch in front of her with her delusions of self-worth deserved it in the first place.

"Sheer amount of overconfidence in that statement might actually make me enjoy putting you in your place Matoi." Satsuki hissed out as she reached for the three blue bands on her left arm she said, "Allow me to show you the purity of my _purpose_!"

Flicking her finger across the three bands on her left arm, Satsuki didn't even flinch as three needles dig harshly into her skin. Junketsu greedily sucked up the sacrificial blood that was offer to it. Blood red started to drench the so called "purity" before for all intent and purposes it exploded off her in sparkling blue light in the shape of a star.

"Senketsu this power?!" Ryūko yelled as she flew into the air by the sheer shock way of the transformation. Any of the students that were closed to the student council president joined the drifter into the air, their yelps and screams caused the rest of the crowd to nervously back away from the two.

" _ **Ryūko get ready! This is going to be our most dangerous battle yet!"**_

"Shit you don't' have to tell me that! Do you feel the freaking power coming off that thing?" She snarled as she quickly got back onto her feet. Reaching into her guitar case she whipped out her trusted scissor blade and entered into a guard position. It was time to see if that training she did in the last week actually pulled off.

" _ **LIFE FIBER OVERRIDE: KAMUI JUNKETSU!"**_

The sheer strength behind those words almost caused Ryūko to buckle to her knees. This power that the iron dictator of Honnōji was dwarfing the power she had with Senketsu. The hell was this? She only felt that power before during the time Senketsu forced himself on her! Even then Ryūko wasn't sure if Senketsu could even match this beast in front of her.

How did Satsuki get this strong? WHY WAS SHE STILL WEAKER THEN HER FATHER'S MURDERER?

Hearing her fellow students staring to clap in excitement caused Ryūko to breathe deeply and look up at her sworn enemy.

It was the first time that she thanked the heavens for Senketsu transformed form. If she thought Senketsu's look made her look like an exhibitionist freak…Junketsu on the other hand.

Well Junketsu made Senketsu look like a modest one piece bikini. Clad in white with blue highlights Junketsu was the opposite in design compared to Senketsu. Senketsu maybe have been a uniform that show a lot of skin…but Junketsu cover and showed skin in a way that was simply indecent.

The upper body of Junketsu was similar but different from Senketsu. The upper body armor was similar in design but thicker and covered a larger amount of skin then the Fresh Blood*. Satsuki's chest was wrapped in in a breastplate like clothe and yet the center of her bosom was exposed for the world to see. It disturbed Ryūko a little bit to see two columns like structure on each of the dictator's shoulder, she was disturbed by the orange and black eyes that stared at her like she was a piece of meat.

The upper part of Junketsu was connected to a blue thong that covered her most important spot on her body. Strangely enough it matched the hip-high boots with vertical blue stripes that she was wearing.

Also it appears that those boots had frills with the part that was next to her thong.

Yeah, Ryūko was extremely glad that Senketsu was her partner instead of this thing in front of her.

Talking about uniforms, Senketsu didn't know to be happy that Ryūko preferred him to this mindless beast in front of him or he should be insulted in the fact she only liked him compared to the sheer fetish appeal of Junketsu.

"You don't seem to be surprised to see Junketsu, Matoi" Satsuki flatly stated as steam erupted from her shoulder pauldrons, "Nor are you that shocked to see another Kamui, Matoi?"

Ryūko cockily smirked at the student council president in front of her, "Hell I already figured that Senketsu might not be the only Kamui in the world. Plus you already have those ratty assed Goku uniforms so I figured that you might have a Kamui up your sleeve as well."

"Oh so you do know the true nature of your uniform?" Satsuki neared her eyes at the rebel, were did she get that information? Did Doctor Matoi tell her some secretes before his demises? "How curious indeed…"

"It's why you killed my father isn't you _bitch_?"

Seki Tekko's pin was ripped out of its socket as the familiar pinch of a needle filled Ryūko's senses. Power flooded her veins as Senketsu started his transformation sequence. She felt him as he seized her body and molded himself to her frame. She also felt a sense of longing from her partner and she wondered what the issue was. Shouldn't he be happy that they were one now?

Senketsu resisted the urge to sigh in relief as he felt her skin. She was still refusing to open her heart to him but at least she wasn't afraid to pull the pin now. One day he'll get Ryūko to understand that he was made for her and she should trust him full heartily. He had to prepare himself for this battle.

It was going to be the toughest yet.

"Let's show her who she messing with Senketsu!" Ryūko roared as the red energy stars of her transformation finally faded away. Her face quickly heated up as she heard the No-Stars cheer in delight and perversion at her transformed state.

Walking towards her opponent Ryūko questioned her partner. "This was the thing you were sensing earlier right Senketsu? I bet the goosebumps from yesterday was from this also."

" _ **I have to warn you Ryūko, your opponent is much more powerful than you are."**_ Senketsu was able to get into eye contact with his human. He couldn't let her be afraid. The rejection of their union was already causing him to rapidly drink her blood and from he could tell they had about twenty minutes before he would have to disrupt their combination.

Well that was the time limit they had before any blood loss.

" _ **However, I know that together we can defeat her! You have to believe in me Ryūko as much as I believe in you."**_

"Uh huh thanks for the prep talk Senketsu." She snarky uttered to her uniform. Believe in him? He's a talking uniform! All she has to do is pull the pin and fight!

It was then that azure eyes met cobalt ones, stars of blue and red started to shine around the two rivals.

They disappeared and a violent shockwave erupted from the mixture of energies that were radiating from the two Kamui. The surrounding crowd was launched into air by the shockwave of power.

"Not bad Kiryūin! Let's see if you can back up it though!"

Ryūko yelled as she charged her foe, her scissor blade coming forward in a downwards arc.

" _ **Guard Ryūko!"**_

Hearing Senketsu cry, the tomboy immediately stopped and formed a hastily defense position. A shockwave of air slammed into her guard and nearly forced her off her feet! The ground behind her erupted into the air like the parting of the Red Sea and Ryūko was extremely glad she didn't get hit by that.

"This power!" Ryūko mumbled to herself before she felt the change in air pressure. Due to Senketsu being a Kamui, Ryūko's senses were increased at least a ten-fold and thus she felt the change in pressure of the air.

Without thinking Ryūko rolled to her side and she was lucky as several more shockwaves battered her previous spot. So it seemed that Satsuki was able to create air pressure waves with her Kamui?

This fight just got a lot harder for her.

Seeing Ryūko dodged her initial wave of attacks, Satsuki simply stood still as she sent another wave of deadly slices with a simple flick of her wrist. It was absolutely effortless to send these swarms of blades that she might as well continue to do so.

After all Matoi wasn't that impressive really to the student council president.

Blocking and dodging the waves of air that could cut through steel with all her might, Ryūko lunged at her opponent. The scissor blade gleaming bloody red as it inched closer to Satsuki chest. Frowning, Satsuki merely flicked her wrist upwards to block Ryūko's clumsy slice. Using the motion of her strike, Ryūko twirled in the air and landed behind her rival.

Spinning her body around Ryūko went for a thrust. Satsuki expecting such an attack shifted her blade and used the flat edge of her sword to deflect the incoming thrust. Exploiting Ryūko's unbalance at her blocked thrust, Satsuki whipped her blade forward.

"Augh!"

Ryūko cried out as she resisted the urge to touch the cut that was just inflicted across her stomach. She glared at Satsuki Kiryūin with hatred; she was going to make this girl pay for that!

Before she could go back onto the offensive, Satsuki went on an offensive of her own. Her strikes and cuts became a blur to the black loving girl. It was only her experience fighting on the streets and her bastardized but unpredictable style of swordsmanship prevented Satsuki from scoring a direct hit on her body. However, over time her reflexives were simply not fast enough to ward off all the damage.

Nicks and cuts started to rapidly spread across her body and Ryūko could feel the blood that was oozing out of her. Heck the ground behind her was getting splattered red with her blood. Sensing his human decrease in blood Senketsu cried out in warning.

" _ **Be careful! We can't afford to lose too much blood! The more you lose the faster you'll past out!"**_

Bouncing her father's legacy off Satsuki unnamed blade*, Ryūko retorted to her talking uniform as she went for another slice. "You don't have to tell me that! I can feel you drink my blood like crazy!"

Swinging her scissor for all it was worth Ryūko went into a combo of slices and stabs. Blocking each attack with bored expression on her face, the transfer student was simply too slow for Satsuki. Junketsu gave her the ability to see and to react for each single blow the rebel was throwing. Then again the transfer student fought like a crazed animal with no finesse in her swordplay. Yet it was a style that strangely was able to reflect and/or minimize the damage of her blows. It wasn't a proper style; no Satsuki could tell that is born from desperation and street brawling.

However, Matoi was able to fight her even with such dysfunction style and an inferior Kamui. How interesting…

Using both hand to push against an overhead blow, Ryūko quickly used slid underneath her foe. Due to the increasing of her physical perimeters Ryūko slid far enough from the student council president to give herself enough breathing room. Spinning her body around, Ryūko went with a diagonal cut that if it hit would have sliced the girl in white in two.

Twirling her blade in a rather flashy manner Satsuki nonchalantly blocked the blow. Forming a fist with her free hand, Satsuki smirked condescendingly at Ryūko.

"Magnificent! This is more than I ever imagine!"

"Imagine this!"

Twirling her body with the experience of a trapped street brawler, Ryūko slammed her free fist right into Satsuki ribs. However she wasn't expecting the sheer amount of resistance to her blow or the feeling of being repulsed from Satsuki's skin.

"It's like steel?!" She gasped out loud in shock. Ryūko was not expecting for her blow to be rendered null in such a way!

Satsuki simply sneered at the confused tomboy. Was she really that forgetful about her own Kamui ability? How could Matoi forget how her Kamui shrugged off the blows of the boxing club president as a dam blocks a flood just a week ago?

Not only did she have no sense of purpose but she was foolish as well. It was time to put her in her place.

"Matoi are you that foolish to forget that a Kamui boasts incredible defenses for their wearer?"

"I just punched you in the guts! For fucking sake I hit bare skin!" Ryūko raged in anger! If it wasn't for her being partnered with Senketsu right now, she would have broken her hand with that punch! Were Kamui that strong even if they were stripperiffic fetish uniforms? Still should her enhanced punch at least caused Kiryūin to freaking flinch! Was that really too much to ask for?

"It seems that you are dull as you are rash…no matter it's time to show you what it means to truly wear a Kamui."

"What the he-"Ryūko was cut off as she was violently thrown into the air as Satsuki thrust her blade downwards. The sheer force behind the movement created a pressure shockwave that forced the girl with the scissor blade off the ground.

Staring Senketsu straight in the eye, Satsuki flipped her blade horizontally and poked him right in the eye with her sword's pommel.

The next thing the Kamui knew was that his partner and he were soaring into the air. The power that the student council president was showing was beyond the combined strength of Ryūko and himself. Senketsu knew that he had to get Ryūko to truly open her heart to him. However, how was he post to do this when his human refuses to trust him?

Ryūko spat out globs of blood as her body slammed through the thick concrete walls of Honnōji Academy. She hazily looked around to figure out where she was. However, all the shapes around her were grey and blurry.

"Senketsu are you alright? I can't see shit."

" _ **It seems that were landed into a classroom."**_

"Ugh, so all this grey crap is desks then?" Using the power gifted to her by Senketsu, Ryūko forced her way out of the pile of desks she found herself in. It was then she saw Satsuki Kiryūin rush through the hole she made.

Today was simply not her day.

" _I hope Mako and Iori are aright."_ She thought as she thrown like a ragdoll into another classroom.

* * *

"Iori look Lady Satsuki can transform too! I didn't know she had a Goku Uniform! Oh no! Ryūko is going to be in trouble! We have to do something! Ack! I know Iori call my dad and have him get the van!" The lovable brown loving spaz that is known as Mako Mankanshoku ranted to her first male friend. She was freaking out do the pounding her second friend in the world was getting. Ryūko is a really tough girl but she was fighting against Lady Satsuki of all people!

Hearing his friend's rant, Iori simply patted the girl head in a manner one would pat a dog. Normally people would find such an action offensive. However, such an action calmed the hyperactive girl.

"First off Mako Kiryūin is using a Kamui, second we have to believe in Ryūko to win this fight. Didn't you believe that Ryūko could beat that tennis club girl?" Iori stated as he watched his friend fight against the spawn of Kiryūin. Iori simply couldn't take his eyes off the fight. Most people would suspect him of watching it with such intensity because of the state of dress Kamui left their wearers.

No, Iori was flabbergasted to witness a fight between two Kamui users. Kamui were extremely rare and to his knowledge there was only three were ever made and to see two of them here…

"Of course Ryūko can win! She wins at friendships! She wins at life!" Mako suddenly turn downcast as she watch Ryūko scream in pain due to getting cut by Lady Satsuki's sword. "Lady Satsuki is really strong… Ryūko can win! I believe she can win! But…"

"You're worried because it's Kiryūin she fighting against?" Iori finally turned his attention to look worriedly to his first friend. He may have only started to call her by her first name recently but Mako was like the sister he never had.

Mako shook her head up and down in agreement.

"Well I guess we just have to believe in the Ryūko, who believes in us, whom believes in her, right?"

A light-bulb flashed above Mako when she heard Iori's statement. Oh how could she be so silly? She just had to believe in her friend for her to win! It was obvious to her! She was really silly to not think about it before hand!

"Iori you are right! Since Ryūko believes in us, we have to believe in her! I remember my dad telling me, 'Mako, if you win with friends you win at life and then you can sell their organs when they aren't looking.'"

The cloak loving boy face turned pale at hearing his friend speech. There was a reason why he feared his boss and his family.

Mako continued on not even noticing her friend's worry. "We have to cheer really loud so Ryūko can hear us Iori! YOU CAN WIN RYUUKO*! YOU CAN WIN RYUUKO! YOU CAN WI-"

"WHO DARES CHEERS ON THE TRANSFER STUDENT AGAINST LADY SATSUKI WILL!?"

"Eep! It's Gamagoori Sempai!" Mako yelped as she jumped into the air. Iori without hesitation plucked Mako from the air and place her firmly behind him.

Ira Gamagoori or the "Yankee" according to Ryūko stood in front of the two friends of the tomboy. He was a giant of a man and one of the Elite Four of Honnōji Academy. He was very well built and fashion himself as the "living shield" of Satsuki Kiryūin. However, he was mostly known for being the leader of the hated Disciplinary Committee.

He was one of the few people in the world that Iori Katsuki truly l _oathed_ with every fiber of his being.

"What do you want _toad_? I believe in that trash of a handbook there is no rule against cheering for a friend." The short boy snarled at the leader of the Disciplinary Committee.

Gamagoori simply frowned when he noticed the one of the people behind the disrupted cheering. Iori Katsuki has been a thorn in his side since the day he arrived; sadly he couldn't punish the boy himself. For he has miraculously not broken any of the rules in the Honnōji Student Guidebook.

Actually it should be said that he hasn't been caught doing it.

"Katsuki still being disruptive as usual; however as the Head of the Disciplinary Committee of Honnōji Academy I cannot let such action pass!"

"Really now?" Turning to Mako, Iori loudly said. "Well I guess that means you can still cheer Ryūko on Mako. Don't worry about the Toad, I have that part covered."

Looking at Iori and then Gamagoori, Mako decided to listen to her friend and started to cheer Ryūko loudly again.

"So, ' _Yankee_ ' do you have any other words of wisdom to share?"

"Yankee?!" Gamagoori roared at the insult nickname at his heritage and his station.

"Oh you haven't heard Ryūko's little nickname for you yet? I don't see why she calls you that but it seems to annoy you."

"You do remember that you're on school ground Katsuki and I can punish you for slander."

Iori simply rolled his eyes and turned around to stare at the battle between his friend and the student council president. His stare was intent and something that Gamagoori quickly picked up on.

"Katsuki, how dare you stare at Lady Satsuki with your unworthy eyes?!" Gamagoori bellowed at the cloaked boy. The boy in question was staring at the transformed state of Satsuki's Kamui. However, if Gamagoori was actually paying attention he would notice how the boy had no lust in his eyes.

"Hmm, what is the problem now toad? Was it a crime to look now?" 'Iori rolled his eyes at the irritated chairman of the disciplinary committee. Satsuki Kiryuin was eloquent in her beauty and her sharp mind made her the dream girl for many of students of the Honnōji Academy. Even when most of the population of the said school feared her she was still the object of desire. However, to one Iori Katsuki...

"Plus Kiryuin isn't really that special. In fact her body is rather bland to me. I have treated people at the clinic with much better looks in my opinion."

"YOU DARE SPEAK ILL OF LADY SATSUKI'S DIVINE BODY?"

"Divine? I don't see that anywhere. Then again I don't think she's that pure either..." He muttered that last part to himself. Unlucky for the No-Star Gamagoori was an expert at reading lips.

Gamagoori eyes widened when he read the last part of Iori previous statement. How dare this commoner think that Lady Satsuki wasn't pure! As her lady's shield he would unleash Honnōji Academy justice upon this blasphemous No-Star!

"It looks like the toad is getting riffled up by the _nurse_." A venomous voice hissed behind the tallest of the elite four. Gamagoori didn't need to turn around to know that the snake was spitting her venom at her prey again.

"What do you mean Jakuzure?" Gamagoori demeaned from Lady Satsuki's longest companion. Nonon Jakuzure was short, even shorter then Iori and yet she was a girl that shouldn't be trifled with. As the first companion of Lady Satsuki and another member of the Elite Four she was a woman that could easily destroy lives.

It was a fact she enjoyed tremendously. Gamagoori did wonder why she even bothered to come over here to see him. The Elite Four at the start of the battle were watching afar, so why did Jakuzure even bother to come closer? Also what did she mean by the nurse?

"Hmm? You didn't see how the nurse writes his name even after the whole affair with the track club? It's 衣織 伽月 (*)." She said in a mocking tone as she pointed at Iori Katsuki, Gamagoori resisted the urge to reply back to the snake. He didn't want to feed her more excuse to use that bite of her.

"Interesting so Matoi's companion has a name that means 'The Nursing Dress Fabric'." The tech specialist of the elite four, Hōka Inumuta, muttered as he finished inputting the new information in. It seemed that he followed Jakuzure.

"How do you know this Jakuzure?" He asked.

"He once applied to my marching band, as if I let a stinking No-Star guy anyway near perfection."

Inumuta further questioning of his comrade was interrupted by Gamagoori yelled of pure anger.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT MATOI IS BETTER LOOKING THEN LADY SATSUKI? IORI KATSUKI TODAY YOU HAVE MADE AN ENEMY OF THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE!"

It was then that one Ryūko Matoi was thrown back into the academy courtyard, her and her Kamui were damaged severely. A screen of red stars shined briefly as Ryūko returned into her Kamui's default form.

"Ryūko!" Mako and Iori cried out in alarm at the same time, the worry for their friend going into overdrive.

A battered Ryūko Matoi struggled to turn her head to see her reflection in her scissor blade, weakly glaring at Senketsu for reverting back to his default she whispered.

"Senketsu why? We're so _close_ …" Close in getting the truth, close in getting the reason behind her dad's death. So close in bringing him justice for the sin committed against him.

But why was she still so _weak_?

" _ **I'm so sorry Ryūko."**_

Satsuki Kiryūin descended from the heavens like a triumphant war leader. She sneered at Matoi and her counterfeit Kamui. She was expecting a challenge and yet she was disappointed. It seemed that her wedding dress was too much for the rebel.

Lifting Ryūko by her hair, Satsuki allowed a leer of superiority flash across her face.

"How pathetic of you Matoi, your Kamui might have spared your from passing out. However in a dormant Kamui, you might as well be naked as the day you were born."

Ryūko mange to grin cheeky at iron-willed president, "You can look down on me all you want, but I'm not the one dress in an exhibitionist getup."

Grunting in pain as she was thrown into ground behind Satsuki, Ryūko noticed that she landed near her scissor blade. If only she could find the strength to reach it…

"An Exhibitionist? Nonsense Matoi!" Satsuki roared as she turned to face Ryūko; her arms thrown out to show off the entirety of Junketsu.

"This is the form were a Kamui is able to unleash its full power! Seeing a fellow Kamui wearer clinging to the notation of _modesty_ defined by the unwashed masses show how insignificant you truly are! I will not be ashamed! If it means filling my ambitions I, Satsuki Kiryūin, will neither feel shame nor hesitate to bare my breasts for the entire world to see!" Satsuki raised her sword to finish off the lowly rebel that was not worthy of the Kamui she owned.

"Since I know that my actions are utterly pure in purpose!"

Ryūko gritted her teeth as she watch the blade started to descend. Was this her final battle? Was she actually going to die before she could average her father?

That eyebrow whore…

 **HALLELUJAH!**

The land surrounding the two rivals turned dark as if night has sudden arrived. A spotlight shined on one Mako Mankanshoku doing the most outlandish pose that Ryūko has ever seen in her life. Right behind the girl was one Iori Katsuki holding her scissor blade out to the downed tomboy. Seeing her look of confusion on her face, Iori winked at her like it was something that happens every day!

" _ **Ryūko is that Mako and what is she doing?"**_

"I have no idea Senketsu but this does seem familiar."

Mako threw her arms to the side and yelled.

"Get naked, Ryūko!" Mako then started to do some strange movements and positions as she went on with her speech. "I can say beyond a doubt that you, yes you! Are not inferior to Lady Satsuki! Your boobs are way bigger than hers!" That part was shown to be true when Mako bent down and grabbed Ryūko's bosom in hands.

The tomboy could only blush in shock as her friend went on.

"I knew I saw them! 'That Ryūko chick has a great rack!' my family said. In fact my whole family was talking about them and that slamming body you have! Even Iori was caught by my dad staring at your rack!"

The boy in question simply brought a fist to his mouth as he gave a cough. He was looking anywhere but Ryūko's face.

"So perk up Ryūko and stop being embarrassed! Rip off your clothes off and **GET NAKED**!"

"… _ **Ryūko I'm scared."**_ Senketsu whimpered out in fear. This human in front of him was not only odd but terrifying to the living sailor fuku.

"Get…naked?" The girl in question asked she was completely lost with what just happen.

What did Mako mean by getting naked?

Satsuki on the other hand was not pleased in the slightest by Mako's antics.

"What foolishness is this?!" Satsuki glared hard at Mako who was now shivering in fright. Stabbing Ryūko's blade into the ground, Iori prepared himself for the fight of his life.

Meanwhile in her anger at this _farce_ , Satsuki continued. "Look at his nonsense! It's not even mature at all! You have disappointed me utterly, Matoi! You are not worthy of your name!"

Satsuki swung her sword down.

CLING!

Her eyebrows widen in shock as Ryūko found the strength to block her blade!

"What!"

"What she said isn't _**nonsense**_!" Ryūko hissed out in anger. She wasn't going to let this highborn tyrant harm her friends or dis her family name! She was worth in being a Matoi and she was going to protect her friends no matter what!

" _Let go of any notion of being weird by wearing your Kamui."_

That asshat knew this the entire time didn't he? She was going to kick him in the shins later for this. For now…

IT WAS TIME TO SHOW THIS PUNK WHO SHE WAS MESSING WITH!

" _ **Ryūko!"**_ Senketsu cried out! Was this it? Was his partner going to fully trust and believe in him!

Was it finally time to synchronize with his destined human?

"You got it!" She ripped the pin out of Seki Tekko with her mouth.

It was time to finish this.

She felt that sweet scent of power flood her veins but she felt something more important this time. For once she actually felt him! She could feel his fibers as they shifted to perfectly fit her frame. She could feel the vibrations of his seams as his form exploded with the heat of her blood. For once in her life Ryūko Matoi could truly understood someone!

"I finally get what you were saying! I have to get naked! Putting on a Kamui means become one with you and you becoming one with me! You're not a uniform at all! You are my skin! I am you and you are me! This is what it means to truly wear you! Isn't that right, Senketsu!?"

His fibers were absolutely filled with giddiness! His human finally understand what he was saying this entire time! Ryūko finally opened her heart to him and now he knew everything about her. It was like a dam that couldn't hold back the raging flood. He was truly meant for this girl! Ryūko was more than his wearer; she was his partner, his human, his everything!

" _ **Yes! That's exactly right! You are not wearing me and I am not being worn by you! We have to be as one! NO, WE ARE ONE!"**_

They roared together towards the heavens, announcing their new form to the world!

" _ **LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONIZE: KAMUI SENKETSU!"**_

At last they were one!

Ryūko resisted the urge to moan by the sheer sensation of being truly united with Senketsu for the first time. She could feel the changes in their form and she had to admit she enjoyed her new skirt that was symbolic of his mouth. She could feel his new collar guard and the black and red clips in her hair. Her hair even gained a vermilion red highlight.

She felt like she could fight a god and _win_.

Their thrusters erupted with untold power as red line shined from their frame. It was time to bring the fight to Satsuki Kiryūin and beat her at her own game. Together they couldn't be beaten by a haughty fool who could even synchronize with her Kamui!

It was time to show Satsuki Kiryūin what it truly means to wear a Kamui.

They roar as one as they rocketed towards the so called student council president of Honnōji Academy. The sheer speed of their advance completely shocked Satsuki and she was barely able to up a defense.

Grunting in effort it was Satsuki turn to feel outclassed as they rocketed her with a barrage of blows. The student president started to sweat heavily as she couldn't keep up with the pair.

Satsuki could not understand how this reversal was happening. She had Matoi on the ground and she was all but defeated. So what was this? What was this so called "Life Fiber Synchronize"? Why didn't Matoi go into override like Junketsu? What was up with this Kamui of hers?

Where did this sheer amount of power come from?!

"Now I feel it! This is real you isn't it, Senketsu?" Ryūko asked her partner. She didn't need to verbally ask him as she could already feel his answer. But this was something new, something that she couldn't understand the first time.

They were definitely going to do this in the future.

" _ **Yes! This is our true power!"**_ Senketsu roared out! He could feel the heat of his partner and for some reason it energized him completely!

Throwing Satsuki off balance, they went in and uppercut the student council president. This time Ryūko attack went through and the heiress to the Kiryūin name flew into the air. Spinning around Ryūko lashed out with a mean roundhouse kick that sent Satsuki flying into one of the walls of Honnōji Academy. The wall nearly shattered as a large crater formed due the sheer force behind the blow.

Satsuki Kiryūin spat out some blood as she stood up. She wasn't expecting to be pushed back this hard but at least she finally had a fight. For so long every time she fought it was not even worth the time or effort. By now…

Now she found someone she could use to sharpen her skills!

Placing her blade forwards, Satsuki charged the rebel to her rule.

Ryūko calmly waited for Satsuki's charge, after all this time she was ready with Senketsu. This time they couldn't lose!

Glancing at Senketsu, Ryūko decided to joke with her partner as Satsuki ran at her. After all, the girl was still on the other side of the school.

"Senketsu you have enough blood?" The girl teased her partner; normally by now they would have already passed out from blood lost but being truly synchronize meant that Senketsu didn't need to guzzle her blood anymore.

" _ **Ryūko, you know that the blood I just drank is more than sufficient. It wasn't my fault you wouldn't open yourself to me."**_

"Hey can you blame a girl for being surprised by you? It wasn't the easiest thing to overcome." She tried to reason with him, it was really embarrassing for the hotheaded girl to even wear Senketsu in the beginning. But now she was okay with it, she just had to be naked.

She really should thank Mako later for that speech.

" _ **Hmph, shouldn't a teenager girl be-, Ryūko!"**_

"Got it!" Hearing his warning, Ryūko blocked Satsuki strike diagonally. Using her superior strength, she threw the student council president off balance and went in for another thrust. Satsuki quickly reflected and went for a vertical slice that would have cut them in two. Jumping back from the attack, Ryūko cried out to her partner.

"Senketsu!"

Feeling her body, her emotions, he already knew what to do. He used his power to connect to her father's blade and activate its special feature. It was a feature that they both discovered earlier this week during training.

" _ **Right! Here goes nothing!"**_

The handle of the scissor blade unfolded and Ryūko grabbed it with both hands. Another blade unfolded itself from the scissor, increasing its length by two folds.

Together they uttered the new form of their weapon.

" _Scissor Blade_! _**DECAPITATION MODE**_!"

Satsuki eyes narrowed as she saw the blade heading towards her. This wasn't in the papers that REVOCS recovered from the Matoi mansion.

It was only her years of training and experience that allowed Satsuki to dodge the attack.

She was lucky, the wall behind? That's another story.

The wall behind her split in two as the upper half lost the fight with gravity and feel to the ground.

"Now this fight has gotten interesting! Show me your resolve RYUUKO MATOI!" The leader of Honnōji yelled as she charged her newly accepted rival.

"You're on SATSUKI KIRYUUIN*!" The tomboy screamed as the two clashed in a storm of blades.

Unlike before Satsuki was ready for the increase abilities of Ryūko and both sides were equally matched. Even strike was mirrored by the other, every blow reflected and then countered attacked. Neither side budged as the Kanto Vagabond and the Dragon of the North went their all.

Ryūko finally putting Satsuki near the edge snarled. "Since we're at this point, tell me! WHY DID YOU KILL MY FATHER?"

"WHAT GOOD WILL KNOWING DO YOU MATOI?"

"YOU BITCH! YOU'RE JUST MAKING ME MORE PISSED AT YOU!" Ryūko hissed as she threw a punch, aiming it straight for Satsuki's cheek. Seeing her opponent move, she quickly threw up a guard that did little.

The sheer force behind the punch almost knocked Satsuki to the ground; however it put her in a potion to sweep Ryūko off her feet. As soon as she hit the ground Ryūko rolled to the side, dodging a stab by a hair's length.

Using their power, Ryūko jump backwards and did a handstand to further the distance between the two foes.

Activating their power, Ryūko charged once more into the fray. Her blows became so fast that only a Kamui user could reaction to the blur in motions. Satsuki was annoyed at the transfer student, she couldn't tell if it was her goals or the sheer audacity she held in fighting her on equal grounds.

"You have no ambitions, no goals; the mere sight of you enrages me! I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO YOU MATOI!" She kicked Ryūko straight in gut sending the transfer student flying into the wall at the other side of the courtyard.

Said courtyard didn't even look remotely similar to such a thing. Instead it was utterly destroyed like a war was being waged in it. In fact one could say that a battle between Kamui users was a small war in itself. The crowd that was watching the fight earlier were scattered across the ground and the only people left standing was the Elite Four and Ryūko's companions.

"STOP TALKING DOWN AT ME YOU EYEBROW WHORE!"

Ryūko brought her blade down to cleave Satsuki in half.

"PROVE YOU CAN LIVE UP TO YOUR WORDS MATOI!"

Satsuki roared as she went for a vertical slice to destroy the transfer student.

The sheer force behind their last clash caused stars to shine around them, the power beyond them was more than any mortal should have. The area started to rumble before it was utterly shattered into jagged pieces of earth and metal by the two demigods.

In the center of this aftermath Ryūko hissed out in pain as her earlier wounds finally caused her to drop towards the ground. With one hand still blocking Satsuki's sword, she glared upwards at the woman that killed her father.

Today she wasn't able to beat her, but she now knew that she was a threat to the Kiryūin heiress and that was good enough for her. Plus the bond between her and Senketsu was finally complete.

"I'll destroy them all…" Ryūko barked at the woman she hated the most in the world.

" _What_?" This was her eloquent reply.

"All that crap about 'purpose', 'ambitions', and all that stupid shit. I going to take all that and smash into _little pieces_ and then shove your _god damn_ face into them! Then you'll be begging to tell me why you killed my dad you eyebrow freak!"

Satsuki pushed Ryūko's blade to the side and shoved her sword into her face. Instead of harming the transfer student she started to…laugh?

"How amusing…" She turned around and started to walk up her staircase that would bring her back to her tower.

"You're going to crush my ambitions and undo all I have ever accomplished?" Slamming her heel down on the first couple of steps, Satsuki turned to face her new challenger.

"Honnōji Academy is my kingdom! If you dare think you can topple it by your lonesome self then I accept such a wager! Starting tomorrow every single club will be after your head! Still think you can win Matoi? Even against these odds?"

Smirking Ryūko used the last of her strength to stand up in defiance at such a challenge. Did this punk really think that her horde of minions and meat bags were going to stop her? The Kanto Vagabond? The Crazed Bitch from Kyoto? The Hot-Blooded Devil of the West?

WHO THE HELL DOES SHE THINK SHE'S MESSING WITH?

Satsuki Kiryūin wouldn't even comprehend the _dragon_ she just unleashed against her so called kingdom.

"You bet your ass I do!" She yelled as she pointed her father legacy at her target. "It doesn't matter how many meat bags and punks you send in my way! I'll beat every single one of them, Kiryūin!"

Satsuki smirked at the bravado in front of her. It seemed that the Matoi Heir would be interesting after all.

"As you wish then Matoi. Then defeat each and every student who comes after you! If you manage to accomplish this goal, Junketsu and I will face you again. "

"Fine! If I beat you you're going to tell me everything!"

"We're in agreement then?"

"You're on!" With that Satsuki simply nodded and ascended her staircase, behind her the Elite Four followed like the well train dogs they were.

It was only then did Ryūko allow herself to drop to the ground completely.

 ** _"Ryūko! Are you alright?"_**

"Don't worry Senketsu, I'm alright just really tired from this bull crap." The tomboy uttered tiredly to her companion.

"Ryūko are you alright?" A girl yelled at her, turning around Ryūko allowed a small smile to frame her face as she saw her two friends running towards her.

It seemed that Satsuki Kiryūin was wrong about her being along on her quest.

Mako, Iori, and even Senketsu would help her get the answers she rightly deserved.

Hell, they might even get more than that!

For the first time in the long time Ryūko Matoi was happy to get a hug from another human being.

Together they would overcome anything!

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _ *** For those who don't know Senketsu means "Fresh Blood".**_

 _ *** I do know that's Satsuki's blade is named "The Secret Sword: Bakuzan". However since this chapter is from Ryūko POV she wouldn't know such facts. Thus, I kept the blade unnamed for story reasons and plot.**_

 ** _*Ryūko name when it is completely capitalized is RYUKO in this story because I can't find a capitalize version of ū._**

 _ ***Same as above but it is for Satsuki's last name instead.**_

 _ **Well that was chapter five of "Never Losing the Way" and the first true battle scene in the story. I think I did a pretty good job at it. What do you guys think? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the earlier parts of the chapter that have the everyday life of Iori, Mako, and Ryūko. I really wanted to show that they are becoming friends and are starting to understand each other a little bit more. The battle between** **Ryūko and Satsuki was really hard to write but in the end I think I did a okay job with it. I did change parts of it around and add a couple new bits to it but other than that it is pretty much the same as the series proper. But still I hope you guys enjoy it!**_

 ** _Remember if you have any questions, just send me a PM! I would love to talk to some of my readers and hear what they think!_**

 ** _Next Chapter: "The Best Friend Ever": NO-LATE DAY_**


End file.
